


Duel Masters: Paradise

by Blackfyre_Phoenix



Category: Duel Masters (Anime)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 81,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29048934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackfyre_Phoenix/pseuds/Blackfyre_Phoenix
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Home

* * *

Felicity Reagan sat under the shade of a willow tree by a gentle creek. It flowed through the land her father owned, and she had fond memories of her and her little sister Riley splashing into it after swinging from a rope her father tied to the branch of a tree.

Every summer for as long as she could remember, she and her little sister, now ten, swam in that creek and caught fish. But soon, she would have to leave all this behind. 

Her father had gotten work in the big city, therefore, they had to move. It was all that Anne’s fault! She was the woman her father was getting married to. She was a very bubbly and annoying woman, who had the bright idea to move out of the country so her father could be close to work.

Felicity cried for days upon hearing the news of them moving away from this beautiful place. She didn’t want to leave the countryside. She was going to miss walking through the forests at the foot of the mountain that was a short hike from their cozy cottage.

Autumn was her favorite time of the year. How she would miss seeing the trees turn gold and brown and red, just like the color of her hair. She looked at a nearby hill, memories splashing through her mind. Never again would she and Riley use that hill to go sledding when it snowed. And after every snowstorm, they built a snowman on top of the hill and stared at him from their living room window. 

Oh, the living room. She was going to miss seeing their Christmas tree lighting up in the corner. The fire crackling beside them as they drank hot chocolate to warm themselves after playing in the snow. And during the spring, the flowers bloomed all over the fields, and the birds chirped happily as they nested in the trees.

Sometimes, they would nest right on the branch by Felicity's window, and she would spend hours and hours watching the eggs until they hatched. And in the summer, her father would take them to the strawberry fields for the annual strawberry festival. 

A tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffed, closing her book shut. She lost all interest in reading anymore. She blinked her tears away and looked to the sky, praying that some miracle would keep them here. Keep them home. The sound of the moving van rumbling down the dirt road to their cottage stabbed her hopes like a knife. Felicity groaned and bumped the back of her head against the tree.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar air of her home one last time. Just then, the sound of footsteps disturbed her. 

“Hey, there, Firefly,” her father, Mark, said, walking toward her. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up and his tie was undone. “I thought I’d find you here. This was always your favorite spot, huh?” 

He tried to sit down next to her, but Felicity got up and stomped toward the edge of the creek. She sniffled and crossed her arms in a pout. Her father gulped and slid his hand down his hair. 

“Boy, I’m in the doghouse today, huh? Look, Felicity, I…”

“Just leave me alone!” she said. 

“Look, kiddo, I know how much you love this place. If I had a choice in the matter, I’d stay here, no doubt about it. I love this place.”

“But you love HER more!” 

“What?”

“You love that woman and her needs more than me and Riley’s. More than this house! This was MOM’S house! And you sold it like it was nothing.”

“Felicity, I had to. My job is too far away. With the traffic and stuff, it’s a five-hour drive home. Do you think that’s fair? And if I can’t just quit. If I did, we’d lose this house anyway.”

Felicity huffed. He had a point about that. 

“I’ve got something for you.” He handed her a starter deck for a trading card game. 

“What’s that?”

“It’s a deck, silly. It’s for a very popular card game the kids play in the city. They’re really nuts about it over there.”

“A card game? Dad, you’ve got to be kidding! What makes you think I want to play cards?”

“Well, I didn’t get you the deck. Anne did.” 

“Give it to someone else. I don’t want any gifts from her.”

“Come on, Felicity. Give Anne a chance.”

“No!” Felicity said. “You didn’t even give us a chance to mourn when mama died. Not even a month since the funeral and already you started dating and kissing that stupid woman like mom never even existed.”

“Felicity…”

“I don’t want to hear it! Just go away and leave me alone. Call me when it’s time to go!”

“But…” He didn’t want to argue. There was no point in doing that now. He tried to come up with something to say, but he couldn’t. He just stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked away. 

When the sun went down and the stars twinkled in the sky, Mark built a campfire in the backyard so that he and his daughters could roast smores one last time. Only little Riley agreed to come out. Felicity, meanwhile, was locked up in her room, not wanting to see or talk to anyone for the rest of the night. 

At dawn the next morning, the moving crew came to pack up the last bit of furniture. Felicity watched from the bathroom as the men disassembled her bed, carried out her cabinets, and rolled up the rug that had been in that spot since she was five. When they were gone, she walked to her empty room and looked around one last time. 

She closed her eyes and sniffed the air. Then she walked to the window, which gave her the grand view of the mountains, the fields, and the creek. Her favorite willow tree was right there, the swing rope was still there. The vines on the willow tree suddenly swayed in the wind as if it was waving her goodbye. She hiccuped and tears once again rolled down her cheeks.

“Felicity!” Mark called from below. “Come on. It’s time to go.” 

Felicity wiped her tears and left her room. Before she closed the door, she peered inside one last time, admiring how beautiful the morning sunlight looked when it shone through her window. 

“Felicity!” 

She closed the door, walked down the stairs, and followed her father and sister to the Escalade outside. Mark had the urge to tell his daughters to say goodbye to the house but thought better of it. Even though moving was something exciting for Riley, he noticed a big tear rolling down her cheek as memories started flooding her. And it was quite obvious that Felicity was still very furious. So he decided to keep his mouth shut and drove away.

Felicity didn’t dare to look back. She was so sick with nostalgia and anger that she felt like screaming. If she turned to look at the cottage, she would go insane. So closed her eyes and kept them shut until they reached the highway.

Her father wasn’t kidding when he said this place was obsessed with Duel Masters. There were billboards, holographic advertisements, and even statues of monsters on top of buildings. Everywhere she went there were screens displaying Duels taking place in one of the city’s many stadiums. And right at the heart of the city was a triple skyscraper. The two shortest ones were normal in shape, but the tall one in the center stretched all the way into the clouds and was shaped like a double helix. It was outlined with green neon. The windows were glowing green and yellow and searchlights crossed back and forth behind it. The skyscraper was called the DMTECH Citadel. It was the building where her father worked. 

Whoever built that tower clearly wanted themselves to be seen all throughout the city. It didn’t matter how low or how high you were, the damn thing was almost looming over everything so you could see it. Even though her new home was a penthouse suite by the sea at the edge of the city, she could still see it. Felicity didn’t mind. Her room came with a great view of the city. And the towers where they lived were close to the mall and was within walking distance of the high school where she would be going to. As she unpacked, she heard her father announce that Anne was on her way over to see them, and she was bringing a few of her friends over to welcome them to the city. 

Felicity would have none of that. She grabbed her things and went out the door, ignoring her father’s calls. She took the elevator out of the towers and then strolled off into the city. She didn’t care where either. All she wanted was to get away from her father and Anne. She knew he was trying very hard to force her to call that woman, mother. 

Never! Never in a million years would Felicity ever grow to call Anne her mother. Her phone was buzzing like crazy in her pocket. When she eventually checked, she shook her head in frustration. No surprise there. It was her father, begging her to come home. 

Eventually, as she spent more and more in the city, his messages said: I understand if you want some alone time. Just come back home safe. Have fun out there.

She couldn’t ignore him anymore. She replied and said: I will.

Felicity then walked to a carnival located on a pier. There was a ferris wheel shining in against the black, starry, sky in bright colors. Felicity thought it would be nice to gather her thoughts while sitting inside of it. It reminded her of the county fair back home. She paid for her tickets and then climbed aboard. She just sat there quiet, unmoving, heartbroken. The ferris wheel eventually took her all the way to the top and she could see the whole city from here. Again, the damn tri-towers dominated the cityscape. She started to hate that damn thing. It was so obnoxious-looking. 

BOOM!

Something shook the ferris wheel. Felicity grabbed the handrail with all her might and looked out the window. There was a fire down there. Was it a bomb? She looked closely and listened. Through the glass, she could hear people cheering and whistling with joy. Odd. That was until she saw a fierce dragon hovering over the water. Felicity screamed and fell back in her seat. Just what in the hell was that? The cheering grew louder. Whatever was going on out there, people were enjoying it. Felicity gathered all her strength and crawled across the seat toward the window. She saw the dragon in all its fury hovering over the pier. 

There was a boy standing right underneath it. His attire was over the top and loud, unlike the plain attire people wore back in the country. Felicity peered over the window to see what was going on. The boy had two transparent blue rectangles hovering in front of him. His teeth were bared in a sickly confident grin. Standing across from him, was a girl with floor-length blonde hair. She had on a black tank top and denim short shorts. A black cap sat snugly on her head backward. Her hands were covered with fingerless gloves and her nails were red and sparkled with gold dust. Despite the twenty-foot monster looming above her, she had no fear whatsoever. And how could she? She had a monster of her own standing there on the battlefield. A dragon-like creature in red armor. His gauntlets doubled as machine guns and rocket launchers. The other was an orange-scaled lizard supersoldier with a flamethrower for an arm.

He looked rather menacing. The glow in his eyes made Felicity shiver with fear and yet a certain sense of awe. The red armored dragonoid was also a very cool and impressive-looking beast, but the boy didn't care what the girl had on her field. He had a giant three-headed dragon looming behind him. "Ha! My best monster is out on the field!" the boy said to the girl. "I knew all that stuff they said about you was crap. I attack your last Shield with Stonesaur!"

He switched the card horizontally. It started to glow and the hologram of the monster came out. The rock monster stomped on the ground then fired magma from its mouth and destroyed her last shield as they were called.

"Oh my!" said Felicity. "That was barbaric. What is this thing they're doing? All those monsters? Dad, where the hell have you taken us?" 

"Looks like that's it for you," sneered the boy. "On my next turn, Astronaut Skyterror will attack and you're finished."

"I wouldn't say that," said the girl. "Your last attack just granted me victory."

"Say what?" The boy laughed. "Nah, you're bluffing. It's okay if you're scared, Kaitlyn. All you've gotta do is surrender."

"Ha! In your dreams. I summon Garkago Dragon!"

Felicity gasped in fright when a gigantic beast burst out of a pool of lava that formed behind the girl. It flew up into the sky momentarily then landed right beside her with a crash that shook the pier. Felicity whimpered in fright, feeling her seat wave back and forth in the impact. The crowd cheered even louder. This heavily armored beast, this Garkago Dragon was a fan favorite. Some even started chanting the creature's name. 

The boy flashed his nasty grin again. "So you summoned your ace card, huh? Too little too late, don't you think? Even if you attack me with your Explosive Fighter Ucrarn, it won't be enough. I still have four shields. You've got nothing."

"You truly believe that, don't you?" said the girl. "I activate a spell. Dynabolt Blaster!"

"What's that!" the boy shouted. 

"This spell will grant all my monsters +4000 power when they attack. As well as the power of Power Breaker."

"WHAT! That means your monsters will break a shield for each 6000 power they have!"

The blonde girl grinned and blew a bubble with her gum. Pop! It went and she sucked it back in. "Yup, that's right. Oh, and don't think you're safe from Garkago Dragon either, bud. This spell will also give my monsters the power of Speed Attacker meaning they don't get Summoning Sickness. So Garkago Dragon is free to attack you this turn!"

"NO!"

"Nice game, hotshot," the girl said. "But it's time to finish this. I attack with Fire Sweeper Burning Hellion. Since his power is now at 9000, he can break an extra shield." 

BANG BANG! Fire Sweeper shot fireballs from his flamethrower, blasting two shields instead of one. One of his cards was a Shield Trigger. A powerful one called Tornado Flame, which could destroy a monster with an attack power of 4000 or less. What good that did now. All of Kaitlyn's monsters were beefed up above 5000. Explosive Fighter Ucarn attacked next. He already had the Double Breaker ability, meaning he could break two shields. But with Dynabolt Blaster, he could break four. The poor boy began to quiver and begged for Kaitlyn to show mercy. He so badly wanted the prize money for his new computer. Sadly for him, he talked too much and gave Kaitlyn much lip throughout the match. Any sympathy she had, if any, was nowhere to be found. 

"Garkago Dragon! Finish him off!" 

Garkago Dragon stamped on the ground. Jet engines on his back powered on and he launched across the field toward the boy. He raised his bladed arms up and coated them both in flames. He slashed the boy twice, knocking him off the platform. His cards scattered all over the table. Garkago Dragon roared into the night sky and then he vanished. Kaitlyn raised her arm up in victory as the carnival's owner came by and presented her with a big check of $5000. 

"Wow," Felicity said. "That was incredible!"

Once the duel ended, the ferris wheel lowered her back down. She would have liked to meet the girl, but as quickly as the match ended, she left. She was nowhere to be found. Oh well. She looked at her phone, gasping at the time. It was almost eleven. She tucked the phone back into her pocket and ran back home. When she opened the door, she noticed the penthouse was dark. The kitchen was a mess, the sink littered with dirty dishes. The welcoming party must have ended a little while ago. Thankfully. Even though she was thrilled by the game she saw earlier, it did little to quell her hatred for Anne. Speaking of which, she headed for her room.

"You're late!" someone said. 

Felicity gasped. She saw it was just Riley, looking down at Felicity from the top bunk. 

"Oh, it's only you," Felicity said. She started to undress. 

"Yeah, dad was pretty sad you missed the welcoming party."

"I really don't care," Felicity said, raising her legs up and down, trying to free her ankles from her jeans. "That woman is not taking priority over mom. I'm not going to stand by and let dad do that."

"I miss mom, too," said Riley. "But you can't just put your life on hold like this. Dad wants to see new people too, you know. Even though he's gonna marry Miss Anne, I feel that he'll never love her more than mom or us."

Felicity sighed and put on an extra-large t-shirt. "You'll never understand, Riley. Go to sleep. Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"Don't you?" 

"Yeah, but I'm older. I can take care of myself. Goodnight."

"Yeah, goodnight. Are you nervous about your first day at school?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Felicity said. She opened her backpack and picked up the starter deck Anne gave her. "Duel Masters," she said. "Hmm." She turned on the light above her bed and lowered the brightness to keep it from disturbing her little sister as she slept. The starter deck didn't seem like anything too special, but it seemed like a pretty impressive way to begin playing the game. The box came with two decks to play with, a game mat, and a booster pack. As soon as Felicity tried opening it, she stopped.

Boy, that wrapper made a lot of noise. She clamped the pack in her teeth and slowly ripped it open. It made a loud squeaky sound at the end. "Eeek!" Felicity grunted. She heard Riley rolling around in her bed and cooing. Then all was quiet again. Felicity opened the pack to see what she got. Galsaur. Mini Titan Gett. Bronze Arm Tribe. Emerald Grass.

She gasped when she saw something shiny under the Emerald Grass card. She flipped it and smiled at what she pulled. "Oh my!"

  
  
  



	2. Bolzard's Call

Her first morning in the city came to her like a punch to the face. She had to get used to listening to all the different sounds around her. The calm chirping of birds in the trees was replaced by loud honking and the endless murmur of people from below. And the soft, soothing, sound of the water from the creek was now superseded by the hiss of the pipes along the walls. Riley came inside the room dressed in overalls over a white t-shirt with a monster in the front and a black cap she wore backward. 

“What is that on your shirt?” Felicity asked. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and brushed a curtain of her long red hair off her face.

“It’s Rothus the Traveler,” Riley answered. “Isn’t he cool?”

“What’s Rothos the Traveler? Some kind of comic book hero?”

“No, stupid, he’s a monster from the game Duel Masters.”

“Oh, right,” Felicity said, throwing the sheets off her legs. She sat on the edge of her bed and stretched. “I see you’ve gotten into the spirit of this city.”

“It’s the coolest thing ever!” said Riley. “Last night after you had your little temper tantrum and ran, Anne took me and her nephew, Duncan, to a stadium to watch the Bolbazark Cup. Aw, you should have seen it, Felicity. Duel Masters is the coolest thing ever discovered. Man, how were we denied this awesome game for so long? Anne says if I get good grades, she’ll buy me a deck just like she did with you.” 

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Unless you don’t want it. I heard from dad that you didn’t like the present.”

Felicity frowned. “I like the present. I just hate her.”

“Now that’s not nice,” Mark said, walking into the room with a gift in his hand.

“Dad!” Felicity shouted, covering her legs with her sheets. “I don’t have any pants on!”

“Oh, sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to intrude.” He covered his eyes with his hand. “Um, is it okay to look?”

“Yeah, yeah, what is it?”

Mark walked up to the bed. “Look, kiddo, I know moving here hasn’t been easy on you. But I’m sure you’ll grow to love this place. Please, Felicity, give the city a chance.”

Felicity turned her head and folded her arms. “Sure. I’ll do what I can. But I make no promises.”

“And maybe you can grow on Anne and…”

“That’s absolutely out of the question!” Felicity said. “Nothing you can say or do will ever get me to like that woman. It’s her fault we’re here in the first place!”

“I know you don’t mean that,” said Mark. “Listen, Felicity, change comes in all shapes and sizes. We can’t just duck our heads and avoid it. We have to learn to adapt, otherwise, we’ll fail in life. Even though you don’t want to talk to me right now, I get it. But I found something while we were unpacking and I thought you should have it.”

He handed her a velvet box tied with a red ribbon. Felicity took the box, undid the ribbon, and opened it. There was a baby blue silk ribbon outlined with white lace inside. 

“Mom’s ribbon!” Felicity said. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Dad…”

Mark smiled and kissed her on the top of her head. “I know. I know. Come now, let me see you put it on.”

Riley picked up a brush and fleeced Felicity’s long, red hair until it shined like silk. Felicity then tied the ribbon into a bow. 

Mark also started tearing up. He sniffed and said: “I know this sounds so cheesy right now. But, damn, you look just like your mother.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Felicity said. 

“Well, I best get going,” said Mark. “I’ve got work and if I’m not mistaken you have school. I’ll let you get ready.”

Once he left, Felicity washed up, changed her clothes, and stuffed her things into her bag, even her starter deck, now equipped with the Bolzark Dragon card she pulled from the pack the night before. Once she stepped out of the hall into the living room, she froze at a very unpleasant sight. Anne was there, and she was in the middle of a sloppy kiss with her father. The sight of her made her blood boil. 

“Hey, I’m Duncan,” said a boy in a white blazer and slacks. His tie was bright blue with white accents. He was short, shorter than even Riley, even though they were the same age. 

Felicity was so enraged by the kiss that she almost didn’t notice him. She looked down and waved her hand. “Hi. I’m Felicity.”

“I know, your sister Riley told me so much about you. Allow me to personally welcome you to Ryoya City. I’m sure you’ll grow to be accustomed to our fair metropolis in no time at all.” He then handed her a rose. “For you.”

“Oh, thank you,” said Felicity. She took it and smelled it for dramatic effect. Big mistake.

“Now, how about a kiss, dollface?”

“EXCUSE ME!?”

“Just a quick one?”

“No!”

Duncan grinned. “Oh, I get it. Playing hard to get, huh? No worries. You’ll get used to me soon, babe. You know, I don’t mean to boast, but my dad is the COO of DMTECH. Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah, it’s impressive, but I don’t date little kids.”

“Maybe I can be an exception?” Duncan said raising his eyebrows in a flirty manner. 

“You’re a brat!” Felicity declared.

“And you’re really hot.” He stepped back and examined her curvaceous figure the way a doctor would study his patient. “Wow, you country girls sure are fit. I guess it has to do with all that hiking and stuff your sister said you did. Say, you’re a woman and I’m a man. Do you think maybe...we can go out together sometime?”

“Why you…”

“Duncan!” Miss Anne said approaching them. “I thought I told you not to bother this young lady. She has school soon. Run along now and wait in the car with Riley.”

“Yes, Aunt Anne,” Duncan said walking away. He looked back at Felicity and winked. 

“I’m sorry about him,” said Anne. “Well, it’s certainly is nice to finally see you face to face, Felicity. Do you need a ride to school?”

“No thanks, I can walk.” She strolled past her. 

“It’s not any trouble,” Anne said. “I could get you some breakfast.”

“I saw a food vendor outside the building. I’ll get my food from him, thanks.” She walked out the door ignoring her father calling her from the kitchen.

* * *

Felicity walked up the limestone steps up an emerald green hill to a four-leveled school made of glass, limestone, and steel. Hundreds of students were gathered in the quad where a statue of a Bolmeteus Steel Dragon rested on the top of a water fountain. Rows of Flags showing off the school's emblem and the flag of the city were lined down a path of white cobbled brick that led directly to the school. Kids her age ran past her, going under a sign that read St. Alexander Senior High School. The school's emblem was a golden lion's head roaring over a shield. As soon as Felicity made it to the fountain, the bell tower began to chime. It was time for school to begin. Teachers and staff rushed outside and blew on whistles, calling for all the students to stop lollygagging and get moving to class.

Felicity reached into the side pocket of her backpack to look at her schedule for the day. The first period was math class with a Mister Fujiyamo. And that was all the way on the fourth floor. She climbed up many steps and ran through hallways covered in posters advertising championship cups being held in the stadiums across the city and the school dance celebrating the beginning of the semester. She finally made it to class and found a seat next to a girl with short blue hair wearing a summer dress patterned with blue floral designs. The girl smiled and pointed at the seat next to her, telling Felicity it was vacant. 

"Thank you," Felicity said sitting down. Ugh, even from here she could see the tri-towers in the distance.

"You new around here?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"How could you tell?" 

The blue-haired girl laughed. "I know practically everybody here. My mom is in the PTA and my friends and I held bake sales here more times than I can remember. I know a thing or two about the faces in this school. I'm Rebecca."

"Felicity."

"Pretty name. Did you just move here or something?"

"We just settled in the Harbor District yesterday," Felicity replied. 

"Ah, welcome then. So, uh, are you a Duelist?"

"Huh?"

Rebecca laughed. "I know, I know. Stupid question, especially in a town like this. But you'd be surprised how many people here don't know how to play Duel Masters."

"I'm one of them," Felicity chuckled. "But some lady I know gave me a starter deck. If anything I'm more than willing to learn. I saw a girl at the carnival last night dueling against some kid. It was really cool. She was so calm and collected. Deep down I had this feeling to want to be just like her."

"I know who you're talking about. That was Kaitlyn Barrett. She's one of the best players in the school right now, one of the best. She won the Bolshack Cup last summer."

"That's impressive," said Felicity. "Do you know where she is? Can we go meet her?"

Rebecca clicked with her tongue. "Yeah, that's not a good idea. She's a very good duelist, however, she's going out with a really bad dude, so it's best not to get tangled up with her."

"Oh, I understand. Still, I'd like to get the chance to meet her."

"Mmm, one day that'll come. But for now, I suggest keeping your distance from her. I know plenty of other players who'd like to get to know you though. And they're not surrounded by bad vibes like Kaitlyn. My friend Phoenix would definitely want to get to know you. She's always ready to lend a helping hand to new players."

"Sounds good to me. Thanks, Rebecca."

The teacher walked in and told the students to get to their seats. "Okay, gang, time for class," he said. "Put a lid on it. Mr. Rich, get down from the window, please. Trey, settle down back there, please."

"Nice meeting you," Felicity whispered.

"Nice meeting you, too," Rebecca whispered back. "Let's talk after class." 

As the day went by, Felicity learned more and more about Duel Masters. There was always a three minute waiting period before class started and Rebecca took that time to teach Felicity the basics, such as using Mana to summon monsters.

"See that one at the bottom of the card?" Rebecca asked before their art class started.

"Oh, uh-huh."

"That's the mana value. Each turn you can place a card upside-down in the mana zone."

"Is Mana what I need to use to summon monsters?"

"That's right, you got it! See the number on the top left-hand corner. That's the amount of Mana required to summon that monster. So if you have four cards in the Mana Zone, you can summon Rothus the Traveler."

"Oh, I see. That sounds easy. I think I can get the hang of it. Although, it might take forever to summon some monsters. I saw a card in a kid's collection that required eleven Mana."

Rebecca laughed and patted Felicity on the shoulder. "No, no, no. I get it can seem a little daunting to want to summon the big creatures, but there are cards that can help you add more Mana. We'll get to those later since you're just a beginner. Now, let's talk about Blockers."

The bell rang and the teacher came in. "Cards away, students," he said. "Time for class." 

"Scratch that," said Rebecca. "I'll tell you all about them at lunch."

Before Felicity knew it, the school day went by. After the final bell rang, the students stampeded out of school and headed for the city to hang out and duel. Felicity never left Rebecca's side the whole day. And how lucky was it that they both had the same classes together? She led Rebecca by the hand to a park nearby the school grounds where her dearest friends would be waiting. However, only one of them showed up today. A dark-skinned young man, well-built, and tall was leaning against a picnic table. He had cornrows and a neatly trimmed beard, and his sported black shorts and a golden hoodie. He was talking to a girl with long hair so red it looked like fire in the afternoon sun, and it was highlighted in brilliant gold. She had pale-blue eyes that almost glowed and her lips were glossy and pink. She sported a white tank top and a plaid skirt making her look like a generic school girl. 

"Do you know them?" Felicity asked. 

"Yes, that's Phoenix and Luc. Hey! Hey, guys!"

"Rebecca!" the boy said. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Strange," said Phoenix. "I figured we see more of her. Something been keeping you busy?"

Rebecca put her hands on her hips. "I could ask the same. Where have you been all day?"

"Helping out in the office during my free time. Kinda sucks that we don't have any classes together this year. Remember back in freshman year when you, me, Trey, and Finn were seated in all our classes. Ah, I see you made a new friend."

Rebecca beamed at Felicity. "Oh, yes. I didn't introduce you. Luc, this is Felicity. She just moved in here from the countryside."

"Oh, what part?" Luc asked. 

"Summerhold," Felicity replied.

"Ha! Ha!" laughed Luc. "No way! My parents and I always head that way for the strawberry festival."

"Oh, I know what you mean!" said Felicity. "Oh, it's my favorite time of the year! I always get my hands on frozen strawberries with cream. And after swimming across the lake, nothing beats a refreshing drink of ice-cold strawberry juice."

"Aw, man! Stop! Stop! You're making my mouth water, girl. Well, nice to meet you, Felicity. I hope you're enjoying your new home."

"Well...I admit it might take some getting used to, but Rebecca's been a godsend. With her help, I think I can adjust."

"Aw, haha, yeah! I know what you mean. Rebecca's no doctor, but she's always got the cure for a sour face. Just wait until you meet the rest of the gang."

"Speaking of which," said Rebecca. "Where in the heck are they?"

"Oh, yeah. Trey's at soccer practice. Finn went to work and Rusty is hanging out with that dude, Andre. You just missed them. They were here a little while ago." 

"Oh, I see. And what about David?"

"At the temple. Remember?"

Rebecca frowned and puffed air out of the corner of her mouth. "Well, so much for that. I guess it's just you and me."

"And Phoenix, too. She just went to the restaurant to get something to eat. Speaking of which, I could get some grub, too. I can't believe they served us squared pizza again. That stuff doesn't fill me up."

"You know, Luc, unless someone shoves a buffet in front of you, you're never full. Come on. I'm buying."

"You serious, Rebecca?" Luc asked. "Wow, that's really nice of you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't get used to it. I'm doing it to celebrate Felicity's first day here with us."

"Oh no," Felicity said wagging her head left and right. "I'd rather not be a burden."

"Nonsense. I was able to land a job at the mall over the summer. I saved a bundle. It's no trouble at all."

Rebecca led them to a small restaurant with a blue and yellow roof. Inside the place was crammed with students. Just like the hallways at school, the walls were covered with posters of Duel Master monsters. It smelled of sauces, fire, smoke, and other things in there. The air was mostly perfumed with burgers being roasted in the grill in the kitchen and the salty smell of fries and onions. Just as they got in line, they noticed all the male students were crammed up watching as a young cashier was serving them their food and calling out orders. She looked terribly cute in her serving outfit. 

"It's her!" said Felicity. "That's the girl I saw in the duel last night."

"Kaitlyn?" Rebecca asked. "What's she doing working in a place like this? Does Adam allow this?"

"I don't know, I don't wanna know," said Luc. "The less we know about Kaitlyn, the better." 

All of a sudden, the same boy who Kaitlyn dueled the night before stormed into the restaurant. A young boy in a red cap and overalls followed him like a duckling following its mother. They both pushed and shoved other customers out of way to get to the counter. The opponent from last night pointed at Kaitlyn. "You!" he said, seething with rage. "I want a rematch! NOW!"

"Say what?" Kaitlyn asked. "Who are you?"

The little boy slammed his fists against the counter. "Don't play dumb! You owe my brother a rematch, tramp!"

"Tramp?" 

"Ooooo!" the other customers hooted. 

"Why they hell should I face you again?" Kaitlyn asked. "You lost. Deal with it."

"Listen, girly!" shouted the boy. "My brother's the best! He would have one if he didn't draw a bad hand last night. You lost on a mere technicality. Duel my brother again!" 

"Easy, Tommy," Geoff said, patting his little brother on the shoulder. "I'll take care of this. You heard him, Kaitlyn. I demand a rematch."

"What good will that do you, Geoff?" Kaitlyn asked. "I already spent the prize money on myself."

Geoff growled. "You...you did?"

"Duh."

"I don't care! I want my match with you."

"NOW!" Little Tommy yelled.

"I can't, stupid, I'm working."

"Well, you can have a break, can't you? Hurry up!"

Phoenix let out a sigh and tapped the floor with her boot. "We're gonna be here for a while," she said. "This guy doesn't look like he's letting up anytime soon."

"Damn, man, this really sucks," said Luc. He felt like tackling the guy out of the way but thought better of it. That was likely going to cause more trouble, and he didn't want to let the little boy see his brother get hurt. He was a loud mouth and very obnoxious, yes, but he seemed to admire his brother like a hero. 

Felicity didn't know what overcame her all of a sudden. Ego. Anger. Maybe the desire to get a burger. Whatever it was, her courage donned its Supergirl tights and got the best of her. "I'll take you on!" she said. 

The restaurant went quiet until only the friers and grills could be heard. Everyone turned to look at Felicity.

"What did you say?" said Geoff.

Kaitlyn giggled. "I believe she said she was going to accept your challenge. You've got spunk, honey, what's your name?"

"My name?"

"You got a name don't you?"

"Well, yes."

"So, spill it already. I'd like to know the name of my knight in shining armor."

"I'm Felicity Reagan."

"You're the new girl at school, eh?" said Kaitlyn. "Nobody else could get a chance to get a good look at ya. On account of Becky over there hogging ya all day."

Rebecca frowned. "Hey! I'm Rebecca! You know I hate being called Becky, Kaitlyn."

"Sure, sure. So, there you go, Geoff. You've got a challenger all ready for ya."

"I don't want to duel this decker! I want to face you!"

"What's the matter, Kaitlyn?" sneered Tommy. "Too chicken to face my brother?"

Kaitlyn groaned. "Look. I'll tell ya what. Beat her and you can face me. No questions asked."

"Seriously?" 

Kaitlyn gave a nod. "Yeah. Seriously. And if you win against me, I'll give you Garkago Dragon."

"So...you'll hand over your legendary rare card, eh? Fine. He'll make a perfect trophy for me. I'll flash him around as proof that I took you down."

"We don't got all day, Shakesphere, ya gonna play her or what?"

"Yes. I accept your challenge."

Tommy sniggered like a villain and looked at Felicity. "But my brother doesn't play without something on the line. If he beats you, then you must surrender your rarest card."

Felicity felt coldness in the pit of her stomach. The arrogance and the ego of those two. "But...I can't do that!"

"Seriously, Geoff," said Luc. "Just how petty can a person be?"

"I don't care about your moral jargon. Do you accept the terms?"

"Yeah! Do you accept the terms?" Tommy repeated.

Felicity bit her bottom lip and started to back away.

Geoff saw her flinching and folded his arms. "If you're not up to the challenge, then leave me alone. The masters are talking."

"All right, I accept."

"Good girl, Felicity. Meet me over there by that table."

"You're gonna regret this, bitch!" Tommy said following his brother to the table.

Felicity only squeaked. Her legs quivered when she finally began to understand what she had done. Who was she to challenge this guy like this? After all, he was facing Kaitlyn in the finals of a big tournament at the pier. That must have meant he was really good. To make matters worse, if she lost, she would have to give up a rare card. Her Bolzard Dragon!

"Shit, shit, shit!" 

"Remember what I taught you," said Rebecca. "You'll be fine."

Geoff and Felicity sat at a table in the middle of the east wing of the restaurant. They put their playmats down and shuffled their decks. 

"This is nothing but a waste of my time," said Geoff. "I set down my shields."

"Shields?" Felicity asked. 

"Yeah," said Luc. "The five cards you put in front of you to protect you from your opponent's attack."

"Oh, so those are the big glass rectangles I saw them breaking last night."

Geoff scoffed. "Pfft, big glass rectangles. Man, this is going to be an easy win. Kettou Da!"

"Kettle what now?" Felicity asked. 

Everyone laughed at her. Kaitlyn sniggered and shook her head. "Where did you find this girl, Becky? She's so cute."

"REBECCA!" 

"It means I challenge you," said Luc. "And you reply by going Yoshi."

"Like the big green dinosaur?"

Again, everyone laughed at how clueless Felicity was. Luc slapped his palm over his face and sighed. "Girl, just go."

"Oh, boy," said Rebecca. "She's doomed."

**Turn 1**

"I'll go first," said Geoff. "I set one mana and summon Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!"

"Oooh, that's a pretty card," said Felicity. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hurry up and make your move, decker."

**Turn 2**

"Why do you keep calling me that? Ugh, you know what, whatever. You're so damn rude. I set mana and summon my own Deadly Fighter Braid Claw. That concludes my turn."

**Turn 3**

"Oooh, look, Geoff!" Tommy said in a mocking voice. "A girly Braid Claw."

"Yeah, little bro, look at that. I'm shaking in my boots. Pfft. Of course, that's all you can do. Now, watch a master play. I set a water mana. Now that I have water mana in my pool, I can summon water creatures. Just a little something from me you can learn. Prepare to get your pretty ass kicked, girl. You're going to get schooled. First, I'll blast your first shield with Deadly Fighter Braid Claw. Next, I summon Zepimeteus!"

"Yes! You got a Blocker on the field!" Tommy cheered.

**Turn 4**

**Felicity - 4 Shields**

**Geoff - 5 Shields**

"Uh oh," said Rebecca. "It's a Blocker. You remember what Blockers do, right, Felicity?"

"I'm afraid I do. He can intercept my attack. And I have no choice in the matter. Oh, wait! Actually, I can still turn things around with this spell card. I tap one mana and cast Burning Power." 

"That's it!" Luc cheered. "Now your Braid Claw has enough power to beat that Blocker."

"I attack!" said Felicity.

Geoff sneered. "Go ahead. I'll let you have one shield."

"Yes! I took down one of his shields!" 

"Yeah, but I wouldn't go celebrating yet, girly," said Tommy. "My brother's got strategy. And you walked right into his trap."

"Hell yeah, you did," Geoff retorted while picking up his card. "You activated a Shield Trigger. These cards can get cast without a cost when they're destroyed. And the one you broke was Tornado Flame. Now your girly Braid Claw is destroyed since she has an attack power less than 4000."

"Oh no!" Felicity whimpered. 

**Turn 5**

**Felicity - 4 Shields**

**Geoff - 4 Shields**

"Aww, what's wrong, Felicity? Did I ruin your fun? Well, too bad. Now it's my turn. I set one more mana and summon another Zepimeteus and Brawler Zyler!" 

"Aw, damn," said Luc. "Now he's got two blockers on the field. And Felicity ain't got nothing."

Geoff laughed, seeing the anguish in Felicity's face. "Don't worry, sweetcakes, this will all be over soon. I attack your shield with Deadly Fighter Bradi Claw. Ike!"

"Now I'm down to three shields!" said Felicity. "Aw, man, this is awful!" 

"Wow, imagine seeing someone so weak they're scared of Deadly Fighter Braid Claw. Ha! I'd hate to imagine what would happen if I summoned one of my Double Breakers."

Tommy held his stomach as he laughed. "Ha! If you summoned one of your Skyterror's, she'd probably have to change her panties."

"You're both all talk," said Rebecca. "Come on, Felicity. You can do this." 

**Turn 6**

**Felicity - 3 Shields**

**Geoff - 4 Shields**

Felicity gulped and drew her card. "I uh...I cast the spell, Crimson Hammer. And with it, I'll destroy your Braid Claw."

"Quit wasting my time, Felicity. Not like that's going to help you much, is it? I evolve Brawler Zyler into Armored Cannon Balbaro!" He placed the card on top of Brawler Zyler and it flashed red. 

  
"Say goodbye to your next shield. _Ike_!"

Felicity picked up the card and smiled. "Oh! Yes! You activated one of my Shield Triggers, too! Comet Missile. This card lets me destroy a creature with Blocker and has a power of 6000 or less."

"Not bad," said Geoff. "Hmm, this is getting interesting. I end my turn."

**Turn 7**

"And things are about to get even more interesting, Geoff. I cast another spell. Meteor Charger, which lets me destroy one of your Blockers. And since this card is a Charger, I can add it to my mana pool instead of sending to the graveyard. Now I summon Immortal Baron Vorg." 

**Turn 8**

"Summon whatever you like. I've still got Armored Cannon Balbaro. Ike!" When he brought her down to her last two Shields, Geoff smirked so wide, Felicity thought his smile would poke right out of his face.

**Turn 9**

"Summon whatever I want, huh? Okay. I'll do just that. Just so you know, fire isn't the only thing I have in this deck."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I saw you place that Light mana earlier. What did you think you'd surprise me with that? Lots of people add different Civilizations to their decks."

"Not I wasn't expecting you to be surprised at all. But thanks to you, I learned how to properly use these. I tap five and summon two Emerald Grass." 

"Argh!" Geoff snarled when she summoned her own two Blockers. "You're only prolonging the inevitable, sweetcakes. I'll take your Blockers down."

"Then do it," said Luc. "And her name is Felicity. You'd better start calling her that. Now, before you start picking your teeth up off the floor."

"Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots. I tap two and summon my own Immortal Baron Vorg."

"My brother's is better!" Tommy bragged in a sing-song tone.

"Who cares," said Rebecca. "They're still the same monster. Felicity, I see something special in your hand. Play it and shut these losers up."

"Of course. I've been waiting a long time to use this. I finally have enough Mana to summon this card. Bolzard Dragon." As soon as Felicity placed her fingers on the card, she heard a roar echoing in her head as though a beast was calling out to her from a far away realm. "What was that?" she wondered. 

"Bolzard Dragon!" said Geoff. "Now that's a pretty rare card."

Tommy balled his fists and flashed his teeth as his face formed a greedy look. "Heh, it's going to fun watching my brother that from you. As powerful as he is, I'm afraid it's too little too late to be counting on him. My brother is already on the path to victory. You can't stop him no matter what you do."

"I can still try!" snapped Felicity. "I attack your shield with Immortal Baron Vorg."

**Felicity - 2 Sheilds**

**Geoff - 3 Shields**

**Turn 10**

"I cast the spell, Burning Power, giving my Immortal Baron Vorg +1000 when he attacks. And I'll also attack with Armored Cannon Balbaro. And he gains an additional +1000 power for each Human I have on the field. Now my monsters are strong enough to beat your Emerald Grass."

Luc stood next to Felicity. "Are those your only Blockers?" he asked. He had a feeling this match wasn't going to end well. 

Felicity looked at him and nodded her head. "Yes. I pulled one from the booster pack and Rebecca gave me another in exchange for my King Ponitas."

"I was afraid of that," said Luc. "Hey, no matter what happens, we've got your back."

"Thank you. Let's see if I can't turn things around."

Luc patted her shoulder. "I know you can. Come on, Felicity, kick his butt and shut his brother up."

"Right. And don't worry, thanks to Geoff over there, I learned a new way to summon."

**Turn 11**

Tommy gripped his brother's arm tightly. "Uh oh," he said. "Be careful big brother. She's got some crazy look in her eye."

"I've got this little bro. There's nothing she has that can stop me."

Felicity hoped her next creature was going to prove her wrong. "I've had enough of you and your brother, Geoff. I evolve Immortal Baron Vorg into Divine Machine Armor Valborg!"

Rebecca jumped up high and cheered. "Yes! You're done for Geoff! Valborg has Double Breaker. Do you know what that means, Felicity?"

"I can break two shields, right?"

Kaitlyn, watching from behind the counter smiled. "Not bad. She's pretty good for a beginner."

"That's it!" said Luc. He clapped his hands. "Lay it to him, baby!"

"But what about summoning sickness?" Felicity asked. 

"Don't worry," said Rebecca. "Evolution Creatures don't get summoning sickness. So you're free to attack with your Valborg this turn."

"Oh, I love this game already!" Felicity said. "I attack your shields with Valborg. Uh... _Iké_!"

"He's down to his last one now!" said Luc. "But if I were you, I'd take out his Immortal Baron Vorg with your Bolzard Dragon. That way he can't attack you with it next turn."

"Hey!" shouted Tommy. "No backseat dueling!"

Felicity didn't listen. She commanded her dragon to attack. When she did, she saw something bright and orange flashing right in front of her. Strange. The shape of the thing had a frightening resemblance to the card on the field. Did...did I just see Bolzard Dragon...fly? Felicity wondered. Did my eyes deceive me? No way! I saw it.

"You've got him now!" said Rebecca, her voice bringing Felicity back to reality. "You've got no shields!"

"It doesn't matter," said Geoff. "She's not going to be using her Bolzard Dragon to win. She activated one of my shield triggers. Volcanic Arrows. Sure this card will cost me my last shield, but it's a small price to pay to destroy one of your creatures with Power 6000 or less. Creatures like your Bolzard Dragon."

Felicity went as stiff as a board. The other kids hooted sympathetically when they realized her victory had been snatched up just like that. 

**Turn 11**

"You made a big mistake challenging me, Felicity."

"Come on, big brother! Kick her ass! Let her know who's the boss!"

"Pathetic," said Geoff. "I didn't even have to call on my best monsters to beat you. And your Bolzard Dragon. He deserves better. I'll take him off your hands now, so he'll serve a true Kaijudo Master. I cast the spell Magma Gazer on Immortal Baron Vorg. Now he'll gain the ability of power attacker +4000 and Double Breaker. With this last attack, I break your last two shields. Immortal Baron Vorg. Iké!"

Felicity picked up her shields, hoping one of them would be a shield trigger. Nothing. It was over.

"Just as I thought. Now, Armored Cannon Balbaros will attack you! Todome Da!" 

"I...I lost," said Felicity. 

"YES!" shouted Tommy. "My brother's the best!" He held up two fingers at Felicity. "You lose!"

"That's right," said Geoff. He started picking up his cards. Then, he reached across the table and took Felicity's Bolzard Dragon. 

"Wait..." she pleaded. 

"A deal's a deal," said Geoff. "Your Bolzard Dragon's mine. And here's a little advice for you, girl. Play another game. Duel Masters clearly isn't something for you. Play solitaire, that way you'll lose to yourself." He stood up and pointed at Kaitlyn. "Yo, Kaitlyn! Get your blonde ass over here. It's time for our duel!"

Felicity got up from the table and ran out of the restaurant, leaving her cards behind. What was the point of picking them up? Geoff was right. That was the most humiliating thing she had ever done in her whole life. What was she thinking challenging someone like him when she herself was merely a beginner.

_Stupid game! I'm never playing it again!_

A tear rolled down her cheek as she sprinted out of the park and dashed all the way home.


	3. Andre the Great

Luc sat at a booth with Rebecca and the rest of his old company of friends. Rusty, the youngest of the group, played a Fire-based deck. Trey, the Nature player, and Flynn, who specialized in Darkness. It was raining heavily outside. The windows of the restaurant were washed with the violent tropical torrents and thunder rumbled in the gray-laden heavens above.

"Any luck?" Luc asked.

Rebecca merely shook her head. "I tried my best. But she just doesn't want to play Duel Masters anymore. She puts a lot of effort not to talk to anyone during class, too. I offered Felicity her deck back, but she didn't want it anymore. Poor thing. That Bolzard Dragon was her first rare card. A lucky pull if there ever was one. And she lost it in her first match."

"Yeah, that'll ruin anyone's day," said Flynn. He was dressed in all black. A shiny metal chain hung from his belt over his hips. He sported a sleeveless top, which exposed his toned arms. The beanie on his head was marked with the symbol of the Darkness civilization. When he wasn't dueling, Finn usually spent his time at the gym so he could keep in shape since he was on the school's track and field team. "Did anyone have any luck trying to get that girl's card back?"

"Nope," said Trey, still clad in his soccer uniform. He stuffed a fry into his mouth. "I looked everywhere but this guy obsessed with Kaitlyn is doing a good job at avoiding to be seen."

Rusty snorted. "He finally realized he's nothing but a Decker," he said. "I saw his rematch with Kaitlyn. I never saw a guy lose so fast before. All that talk and he can't even back it up. Ha! What a loser."

"Did Kaitlyn ask for the card back?" Rebecca asked.

"I didn't see anything," said Rusty. "Geoff packed his stuff so quickly and bolted out so fast, I didn't even see him go. Besides, Andre wanted a rematch with me and he just ordered the nugget platter so I rushed over to join him."

"You're getting awfully attached to that Andre guy," said Trey. "I'd be wary if I were you, Rusty. He used to hang out with Marcus."

"Yeah, but now they're rivals." Rusty rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "I guess you don't have to worry about him anymore, eh, Trey?"

"I can already beat Marcus," said Trey. "I'm not afraid of him anymore. Enough about him. I'm glad that Geoff guy got what he deserved."

"Hopefully he's learned his lesson," said Luc. "But if Kaitlyn didn't take the card back from Geoff, that means that he's still running around out there with Felicity's card. Maybe if we can somehow get it back, it will inspire her to play again."

"I highly doubt that," said Flynn. "The girl doesn't want to play anymore. And you have to respect her wishes. Just let it go."

"Well, I don't want to let it go!" said Rebecca. "The moment I saw her I felt something. This feeling in my heart told me Felicity was something special."

Her friends gave her awkward stares.

"So..." said Trey. "How long have you been singing for the same team?"

"SHUT UP!" Rebecca shouted over the laughs of her friends. She couldn't believe how tickled they all were by Trey's insensitive joke. Rusty was by far the worst. He was laughing like a hyena and even snorted some of his soda out his nose. "Guys, I'm serious!" Rebecca shouted. "I think that girl's got the touch."

"She has some skill, I'll admit that," said Flynn. "She was really close to beating Geoff."

"More than just close," Kaitlyn said, coming to their table with another order of hamburger sliders and refills of soda. "She would have had him beat if it wasn't for his Shield Trigger."

"No, it was more than just a Shield Trigger," said Flynn. "Her deck was all fire. Except for those Emerald Grass cards, of course. Even if Volcanic Arrows didn't destroy her Bolzard Dragon, there would have been nothing she could do."

Kaitlyn disagreed with him on that one. "That's not true, Flynn. Right after she left, I came to their table to help Rebecca pick up the cards Felicity left behind. One of them was a Shield Trigger. A monster called Batocross Battle, Passion Dragon."

"You serious!?" said Luc. "Was that really what she had as a Shield Trigger?"

"What does that mean?" asked Rusty.

"It means what it means, honey," said Kaitlyn. "That creature has 7000 power. And when he's placed on the field, he and an opponent's creature must do battle."

"Wow," Trey said, rubbing his chin. "And the only monster left would have been his Balbaro, right? So that means that her Passion Dragon would have destroyed that cannon. Then on the next turn..no way! She could have won!"

Rebecca gasped. "She...wow! See? What did I tell you guys? That girl is special. I could feel it. Didn't you learn anything from Knight when he was helping us deal with my Aunt Vivian?"

Luc gave a sigh as he tapped the table with his finger, all the while showing off the gold-diamond ring crafted to look like Urth, Purifying Elemental. "Knight always taught us to be on the lookout for potential Kaijudo Masters. You know something, Rebecca, you're not alone. I also felt some kind of spark when I saw her. Even though she's a beginner, Felicity kind of stands out from the other players around here."

"That's kind of what I felt when I met my new friend, Andre," said Rusty.

Kaitlyn heard someone calling for her service. "Be there in a minute. Anyways, guys, special feelings or not, that girl isn't going to be anything if she doesn't grow a spine. She can't keep running away from her problems like this. But, I'm sure there's always you, Rebecca. If anyone around here knows how to get people out of the dumps, it's you. I'd say David, but I don't know where the hell he's at these days."

"You haven't heard?" said Flynn. "David's in training to be a Monk at the temple."

Kaitlyn's eyes widened like saucers. "David? David Kaiser?! That lazy bum a Civilization Monk!? Holy crap! I never thought I'd see the day. Well, I've got to get back to work. Tell me all about it later, Luc. I need to hear more about this."

"Sure. See you, Kaitlyn."

"Kaitlyn, wait!" said Rebecca.

"Make it quick, I have orders to fill."

"Of course. I was just wondering why you didn't give Felicity her card back. If you also feel she's talented, the least you could have done is get her card back."

Kaitlyn shook her head no. "No can do, honey. If she wants that card back, she's going to have to earn it herself. I trust my gut instincts as much as you do, but I need to see proof. If you truly care about her getting good at the game, you'd best do the same and let her grow herself."

After they finished their meal, the group got up and left to either go home or go to work. Rusty, however, stayed in the park to meet his friend, Andre. Like Rebecca and the others, he was years older than Rusty was. But he was a pretty chill person in Rusty's eyes and he got some very nice cards from him when they traded.

"Andre!" Rusty called, spotting him sitting on a picnic table. However, he was in a duel with someone. A kid with spiky blond hair that faded to blue in the center. Standing above his shoulder was a tan-skinned girl with dark-blue hair.

"Caitlan?" he said. Not to be confused with the other girl Kaitlyn.

Both were well known, but sadly Caitlan was growing to be known as Kate with a C. She had grown over the years, and so did her hair, which now went all the way down to her lower back. She wore a cropped red jacket with flames on the sleeves that exposed her midriff and a black skirt with two belts. One had a chain that hung over her hip and the other carried her deck box behind her.

Despite how long it's been, she still sported her signature red cap. Not surprising to Rusty, he noticed the fiery girl found another promising Duelist to help her defeat Andre and shut him up. About a year ago, Andre knocked her out of the semifinals of the Bolshack Cup. Being the hardboiled young lady that she was, Caitlan, went out of her way to get the best players from every clan to serve her and take Andre out.

"You know what to do, Bruce," said Caitlan. "Beat him and we can go out as I promised you."

"Fine with me," the light duelist said, brushing a bang off his handsome face. "I do hope you'll fulfill your end of the bargain. And you. Remember, we're playing for keeps. If you lose, you surrender your Bolshack Dragon to me."

"Man, Caitlan," said Andre. "You just can't let that win go, can you?"

"You have no idea what I lost when you defeated me. And I'm not talking about my place in the tournament."

"You can't win them all, you know. But if you want to keep sending goons after me, go ahead. It's more victories for me, which leads to more reputation points to earn my place in the next cup."

"Not this time, chump. Go, Bruce. Kick his ass."

"I set one mana," said Bruce.

"I'll also set one mana," Andre said. "Your turn."

"I'll add another mana to the pool," said Bruce. "I warn you, this is going to get interesting as things pick up."

Rusty finally caught up to them. He merely patted Andre on the shoulder and stood back as he watched the duel take place. "Is he worth your time?"

"So far I'm really bored," said Andre. "So I guess it's time to step things up. I set water mana. I'll tap two and summon Madrillion Fish. A Blocker. Now it won't be so easy to strike my shields."

"Arrgh!" Bruce said. "I'll add nature mana. I now have enough mana to summon this. Gulan Rias, Speed Guardian. And I'll attack you…"

"You can't do that, kid!" Andre declared, holding up his finger.

"Huh? Why not? I can attack you!"

"In another game, sure. But this is Duel Masters. Creatures have summoning sickness when they're first played. You can't attack the turn they are summoned."

"I knew that! What? Did you think I'm some kind of idiot!"

Andre shrugged. "You said you were a pro. So far I'm not impressed. Now if you don't mind it's my turn. I tap three mana to summon Fatal Attacker Horvath!"

"That all you got!?" Bruce declared, still believing he was the dominant player in this game. "I tap two mana and summon Reusol the Oracle. I end my turn."

"You haven't even broken one shield!" Andre said, drawing his card. "You're no pro. You're just a decker! You're all talk and no skill."

"Ha! Your mom!" said Bruce.

"Wow. Nice comeback, kid. I'll tap four mana and summon Thrash Crawler, another one of my powerful Blockers."

"And," Andre continued, "while he and my Madrillion Fish will provide me with good offense, I still have Horvath as my offense. I'll attack your shield."

He turned the card. A wave of red then streaked out from it and sent Bruce's first shield flying. He grabbed the card and added it to his hand.

"You just got lucky!" shouted Bruce. "I'll show you true skill is soon enough. Once my mana pool fills up, I'll swarm you with powerful monsters."

Rusty slapped his knee as he laughed. "Really? When your mana pool fills up? Andre will have beaten you by then."

"Just watch. Your Bolshack Dragon's gonna be mine! I tap five mana! Now I summon Mileus, the Daystretcher. You're not the only one with a Blocker now, Andre!"

"I guess so," Andre said. "Looks like you've put my offensive at a standstill for now. I summon Cetibols and end my turn."

"Yes!" said Bruce. "You can't attack me with that pathetic monster. I cast a spell. Moonlight Flash. With this card, I can select two monsters on your field and tap them. Your Blockers are useless this turn. I attack with Gulan Rias and Reusol the Oracle. You lose two shields."

"Sucks to be you," said Andre. "One of my shields happens to be a Shield Trigger. Tornado Flame, which destroys a monster with 4000 or less. Mileus is toast. Now it's my turn. I summon Fire Sweeper Burning Hellion."

Andre rotated Cetibols and aimed for a monster to attack. "Now, I attack Reusol the Oracle with Cetibols."

"Their power is the same!" said Bruce. "They'll destroy one another!"

"True, but when Cetibols attacks, I can draw a card. Next, I use Fatal Attacker Horvath to attack your next shield."

"Now it's even!" said Rusty. "Way to play, Andre!"

"Thanks, Rusty. Let's get some food after this match."

Bruce scoffed. "Well, people tend to stuff their faces after suffering terrible losses. Let' see what I can cook up. Ah, I summon another Gulan Rias, Speed Guardian. And I'll rid the field of your Horvath by attacking with my second one!"

SNAP! SNAP! Both cards were tossed out of the field and fluttered into the graveyard.

"There. Now your offense has trickled down to nothing."

"So will your offense," said Andre. "I cast Crimson Hammer, which destroys creatures with 2000 or less. Nice try, bud. Now Fire Sweeper Burning Hellion, attack!"

"You dare take down another of my shields!" Bruce shouted. He switched his cap backward. "Now the kiddie gloves are off! I tap six and summon Launch Locust and Carrier Shell! On my next turn, these two monsters will make mincemeat of your Blockers and I'll be free to attack."

"That's fine. But you still have to deal with Fire Sweeper Burning Hellion. He'll attack your next shield."

Bruce's face was glowing red upon seeing that he had been brought down to his last shield."Argh! I've been patient with you, Neromaki. But now I'm royally pissed off!" He drew. "Excellent. I tap seven mana and summon the Alek, Solidity Enforcer! He's a Blocker with 4000 power. Your Burning Hellion is going to have a hard time getting through that."

"Not really," said Rusty. "Your Blocker only has 4000. When Fire Sweeper attacks, he gains +2000, so he'll be much stronger than your Blocker."

"He won't be attacking next turn, though!" said Bruce "I'm going to put him out of his misery now! I will attack him with Launch Locust. And he gets +1000 for each creature I have, making him stronger than your Fire Sweeper. And next, I attack with Carrier Shell."

"I block with Thrash Crawler!"

Andre's Blocker had 5000 power and Carrier Shell had 2000 but could get +3000 when it attacked. Both creatures were evenly matched and destroyed one another.

"Your defenses are gone!" said Bruce.

"But I've still got more shields than you!" said Andre. "And now I've got his. I tap five and summon Hazard Crawler."

"Argh! Damn you! Another Blocker! And he's got 6000 power!" He sneered. "No matter. I'll still take you down." He drew his next card and flashed his teeth. "Look out, boys! I tap seven mana to summon Syforce, Aurora Elemental! Another Blocker, but he's got 7000. None of your pathetic creatures can stand against him!"

"Man, if they keep summoning Blockers, this match ain't ever gonna end," said Caitlan.

"I tap one to summon Zepimetus," said Andre. "That's all I can do."

"Aww, what a shame," said Bruce. "Not so tough anymore, are you, Andre. I told you. I'm the best. Now, let's lay siege to your field. I tap three and summon Illusory Berry! Now with him on the field, my Launch Locust will gain another 1000 power. First, I attack with Syforce, Aurora Elemental! He's a Double Breaker, so you will lose two shields."

"I block with Hazard Crawler!"

"Destroyed!" Bruce boasted. "Now, I'll attack with Launch Locusts!"

"I block with Zepimetus!"

Bruce held his arms up and laughed. "Aw, yeah! Another one bites the dust. Now, I'll attack with Alek, Solidity Enforcer!"

"I'll let you have that shield," said Andre.

Bruce bowed his head confidently and gave a nod. "You see? I'm a future Kaijudo Master. You stood no chance against me, Andre."

"It's not over till it's over!" said Andre. "I tap six and summon Bolshack Dragon!"

"Ah, there he is!" said Bruce. "That's the dragon who will pave the way to victory for me. I thank you for playing him, Andre. It'll make taking him from you all the sweeter. Such a shame you played him a little too late. Now it's time to end our little game. I attack your shield with Illusory Berry!"

"I block with Quadrillion Fish!"

"Ha!" laughed Bruce. "There goes your last Blocker. Now, I'll break both your last shields with Syforce, Aurora Elemental."

"Aw, man," Rusty said, scratching his head. "Andre gave it his best shot."

Andre caught the two cards with his gloved hand and smirked at Bruce, his eyes started brimming with confidence.

"What are you smiling about?" said Bruce. "I'm about to beat you!"

"You came close. But thanks to these two shield triggers, that's not going to happen. First, I activate Dondon Striking Now. This card lets me destroy one of your creatures that has Blocker. So your Alek is gone!"

"Augh! No!"

"And here's my second one. Deadly Batorai Finger. One of my creatures gets +3000 until the end of the turn. Obviously, I'll choose Bolshack Dragon. And when he attacks, he gains +1000 for each fire creature in the graveyard. So that's an additional +2000 power."

"It can't be!" Bruce babbled in shock. "11,000 power!"

"And it gets better. Ha. Well, for me anyway. Now for Deadly! Batorai Finger's second effect. Bolshack Dragon and one of your monsters have to do battle."

"No! Launch Locust! Don't fight him!"

"He has no choice! Bolshack Dragon! Finish him!"

Bruce could not believe how quickly the tide had turned against him. "How...how can this be? My offensive was flawless. I had him cornered."

"I draw. Now I tap seven to summon Gatling Skyterror!"

"No! Not that card!"

"I don't believe it!" said Caitlan. "Andre completely turned things around!"

"I attack Syforce, Aurora Elemental with Bolshack Dragon. Because of his ability, he gains +2000, making him strong enough to take him down."

Andre, now burning with confidence, grinned at Bruce.

"If you don't draw a blocker this turn. It's Todome da. But then again, you're screwed no matter what you do. Maybe next time you'll think twice before talking shit about people, dude. And get good before you run around bragging that you're better than anyone. You're just making yourself look like an ass."

Bruce drew. Nothing. It was a spell card. "Attack me, then! I assure you next time things will be quite different!"

"I'll be waiting then. Anytime you're ready for another ass-kicking, you know where to find me. Gatling Skyterror will attack your last shield. Now, Bolshack Dragon will finish you off! Todome Da!"

Caitlan folded her arms over her busty chest and walked off.

"Wait," said Bruce. "Where are you going?"

"You lost, loser, we're done."

Bruce got off his seat and chased after her. "But...but Caitlan! Give me another chance! I can beat him this time. Hey! Hey, wait! Come back!"

Andre poked Rusty in the shoulder with his elbow. "They're both losers," he said.

Rusty laughed. "Yeah. Nice comeback, by the way, Andre. That was lit!"

"It was no big deal," Andre said, picking up his cards. "I didn't get a lot of points from this duel, so he wasn't all that good. So, uh, I heard your group had some trouble yesterday."

"Huh? Trouble?"

"Yeah. With that jerk, Geoff. He gave one of your guys trouble."

"Whoa, word travels fast around here, huh," Rusty said, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, there was this new girl who Rebecca introduced the guys to. I wasn't there, but she was doing really well for a beginner. She was close to beating him but he activated some Shield Triggers that put a halt to her victory. Not only did the guy beat her, but he took her Bolzard Dragon. The sad thing is she could have won the match."

"Do tell."

"She also had some sick Shield Triggers. One of them in particular could have saved her and win her the game. But she was so shocked and sad about losing that she didn't even notice what her cards did. She got up and ran away. I wanted to meet her but Rebecca says she's been distant. She doesn't want to see anyone."

"Wow, that's tough. Maybe there's something I can do to help.”

“Unless you can find Geoff anywhere, I don’t think there’s much you can do to help, Andre. Kaitlyn Barrett defeated him so bad he just vanished. I didn’t even see him at school today.”

“Still, we should start looking. That guy has that girl’s card and I want to get it back for her. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

“If you say so,” said Rusty. He looked around. “But where do we start looking?”

“Let’s look around the park first,” said Andre. “He’s got to be around here. Knowing how cocky Geoff is, I have a feeling he’ll show up to play again.”

He got up from the picnic table and led Rusty all over the park until they entered an area that was forested by tall pine trees to give the hiking trail a mountainous look. They didn’t find Geoff, but they spotted Phoenix playing against someone at a picnic table by the pond. Andre couldn’t believe how long and messy her hair was. And so red. It really did look like fire when it shined against the afternoon sun. The gold highlights of her hair flashed and shimmered each time she moved.

“Whoa, is that Rebecca’s friend, Phoenix?”Andre asked. “You never introduced me to her, man.” 

Rusty shrugged. “Sorry. But you can’t meet everyone, you know.”

“Well, I want to meet everyone. Especially if they’re good players.”

“Oh, she’s really good. Much better than that decker, Bruce.”

Her opponent, a well-groomed young man pursed his lips as he wondered what to do on his next turn. He wore a black and gold uniform from the private school he attended. The emblem of the school, a Rising NEX, the Enlightened, shined brightly on the blazer. Though Phoenix had her blazer tied around her waist, the emblem could still be seen, meaning they went to the same school together. She cut her flannel skirt to be short and added gold trim to it, jagged to look like flames. Her blouse was unbuttoned to give her some air and to be cheeky, because it revealed the lacy red part of her bra, causing her opponent to look up for a peek every once in a while. 

“Let’s go see their match,” said Andre. 

All of a sudden, a boy with short, greasy, black hair came out of nowhere and stood in their way. “Andre! Rusty! Just the guys I’ve been looking for.”

“Oh, not now, Mario. I want to see her play.”

“I know, I know, you’re a busy guy, Andre, but I need a favor to ask. You know that new booster box at the card shop?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, your old buddy, Mario, is about ten dollars short. If you could be so generous as to…”

“Forget it!” said Andre. “You already owe me twenty bucks. I’m not giving you another cent until you pay me back.”

“Aw, come on, Andre! I’m so close to ranking up to Advanced! That will at least grant me access to the card shop tournaments. And check it out. I got this card.”

He showed them a powerful monster called Raging Dragon Lord. 

“Hey, now that’s impressive,” said Rusty. “Wanna trade for it?”

“Trade for it!” Mario said in offense. “Man, this card is my future. It’s going to put bread on my table; just wait and see! However, he needs a deck to go along with him. I can win with this guy, Andre, trust me. The next tournament is being held at the PhoenixFyre Gaming shop. The grand prize is two hundred bucks. When I win that tournament, I’ll pay you back thirty.”

“Thirty bucks and booster pack,” said Andre. “And then we’ll call it even. However, if you lose, you hand over the deck AND your Raging Dragon Lord.”

“You don’t think that’s a little harsh?” Rusty asked. 

“No. This guy always finds ways to weasel out of deals. Not to mention he was disqualified from a local tournament last spring because he cheated. No, I’m not going to fall for your schemes this time, Mario. I’m going to be there at that tournament and watch you. If you lose, I’m taking the deck that I practically paid for. And your dragon, since you won’t be needing him. A card as good as him doesn’t belong with a scumbag like you.”

“I’m a witness,” said Rusty. “If you try to worm your way out of the deal, my friends are coming after you. And they’re all ranked as Masters.”

“I know better than to pick a fight with the legendary Big Five,” said Mario. “I know you guys are tight. Andre, I know I’ve been slick in the past, but this time I’m straight.” 

“All right,” Andre said, handing him a ten from his pocket. 

“Awesome. You the man, Andre.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Andre said moving past him. 

“Where are you going?”

“I want to see that girl play.”

Mario’s eyes widened. “Wow dude! She’s an angel.” He whistled. “Is she single?”

“How should I know?” said Rusty. 

“You’ve got to introduce me to her, man?” Mario drooled, eagerly clutching the straps of Rusty’s backpack.

“Shut up!” said Andre. “Look at them go!” 

“You’re good,” Phoenix’s said. “Better than I expected. But not good enough, I’m afraid. I summon Ultimate Dragon. Then I call on Immortal Baron Vorg, Deadly Fighter Braid Claw, and Brawler Zyler. Your Blockers may have helped you fend off my attacks, but they bought me time to swarm you with monsters. If you can’t figure out a way to counter my moves, I win on my next turn, Phoenix.” 

“Oooh, you got me in a tight spot,” said Phoenix. “How, oh how, will I ever get out of this one?”

The boy smiled. “You’re just messing with me, aren’t you. Come on, Phoenix. If you’ve got something to play, let’s see it.”

“Your wish is my command, bud. First, I cast the spell, Explosive Ninpo, Phoenix Jitsu."

"I send Baby Zoppe and Kooc Pollon to the graveyard. Now I’m allowed to put a non-evolution creature into the battle zone. I call on Ambitious Dragon!"

"Now I’ll tap five to make a Vortex Evolution. I evolve Pippie Kuppie and Ambitious Dragon to summon Eternal Phoenix, Dragonflame Phoenix.”

“Ah, so that’s your signature creature, huh?” The boy chuckled. “Wow. Why am I not surprised. Matches with your name, huh?”

“Meh, I have a thing for flaming birds,” Phoenix replied. “I’ll attack your two shields with Dragonflame Phoenix.”

“What good that did you, huh? I still have two more shields left. Now it’s my turn. I’ll attack your shields with Ultimate Dragon.”

“Oh, tough luck, buddy. You just activated a Shield Trigger. Burning Rage."

"Now all of our monsters with 3000 power or less are destroyed. Vorg, Braid Claw, and Zyler are done for.”

“Hmm, good card.”

“And don’t think you’ve seen the last of it,” Phoenix said. She gave a flirtatious wink. 

“Very well. But your Eternal Phoenix won’t be striking me. I summon two La Ura Giga, Sky Guardian, and two Emerald Grass. With all these Blockers out on the field, nothing you have can get through to my last shields.”

“Wanna bet?” Phoenix said. “I said you haven’t seen the last of that Burning Rage spell. But first, I’m going to summon this. I tap two to summon Chitta Peloru. Next, I evolve it into Boleas, Bird of Fire!"

"And when he’s summoned, he destroys a creature in your zone that has Blocker.”

“No matter,” the boy said, sending one of his La Ura Giga to the graveyard. “I still have plenty of Blockers to defend myself with.”

“Not for long you don’t. Now it’s time for a Neo Evolution.”

“What?” 

“I evolve Boleas, Bird of Fire into Soulpiarage, Phoenix Dragon Knight.”

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that the card the same as the Shield Trigger you used to destroy my creatures with? I thought it was a spell.”

“This card is special,” Phoenix said while holding up her card. “It’s both a creature and a spell.”

“I heard about those,” said the boy. “I just tend to stay away from them because they look complicated to use.”

“Well, you can’t reach the rank of master if you just stick with the base sets, bud. You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. You’re on the lookout for Bolshack, Astrocomet Dragon, Deathliger, and things like that. They’re good cards, godly back when the game first released. But now it’s time for some change. A game can’t stick with the basics forever.”

“I guess you’re right. Show me what these new cards can do.”

“All right then. I’ll attack with Phoenix Dragon Knight. And now his Smash Burst ability activates.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I can use the ability of his spell side for no cost. And you know what that means.”

A bead of sweat rolled down the opponent’s face. “He can use his Burning Rage spell. That means all monsters with an attack of 3000 or less get destroyed. My Blockers are done for! I’m defenseless!”

The Phoenix Dragon Knight slashed the second shields. Then Phoenix attacked with Eternal Phoenix, Phoenix Dragonflame, destroying his last one. 

“I fear I must concede to you,” said her opponent. “All I can do is summon my Astrocomet Dragon.” 

“Good card.”

“Yes, but if it wasn’t for this blasted summoning sickness, he would have walloped you.”

“You played a good game,” said Phoenix. “I’ll finish you off with Eternal Phoenix. Todome Da!”

The boy smiled and picked up his cards. “Good game, Phoenix.

“Wow!” said Andre. “That was pretty good. I’ve just got to duel her!”

“Get in line, bud! I’m dueling her!” Mario said, pushing her aside. 

“But you don’t have a deck!” said Andre.

“Hey, Rusty, can I borrow yours?”

“Eff off, dude!”

Rebecca came running down the path towards Phoenix, waving and calling out her name. 

“Oh, so many beautiful girls,” Mario swooned. “I’m in heaven!” 

“No!” Rusty finally released his backpack straps from Mario’s grip. “But grab my stuff again and you will be.” 

“Hey!” Andre said. “You Rusty’s friend?”

Rebecca stopped and Phoenix turned her head. “Yeah,” Phoenix said. “You must be that guy Andre. I take it Marcus wasn’t too pleased with the way you did things huh?”

“Oh, forget that guy. That’s history.”

“I know,” said Phoenix. “I heard about you making it to the finals of the Bolshack Cup. Pretty impressive.”

“Thanks. I just reached the rank of Advanced during the summer. What rank are you?”

Phoenix opened the deck box strapped to her thigh and slipped her cards inside before she answered. “Master,” she said. 

“Whoa,” Rusty and Mario said at once. 

Rebecca laughed at their expressions. “Yup. Phoenix was supposed to go with David to become a Monk. But she declined.”

“Yeah, their agenda is so hectic. And on top of that, I’m in honors, so there’s no way I can fit all their stuff into my schedule. Besides, I’m happy being just a Master Duelist.”

“To be honest,” Rebecca said, “I’m glad you didn’t go. It’s not the same without you around. Oh, uh, nice skirt, Phoenix.”

“Oh, do you like it?” Phoenix said giving a twirl. “I made it myself.”

“It’s nice but uh....don’t you think it’s a little too...little?”

“What do you mean.”

“Girl, that thing is SHORT!” Rebecca said with a laugh. “My goodness, you need to be careful. One bad breeze and you’ll give your classmates a show. Doesn’t your school have a problem with that?”

“Nope. Not so long as our parents pay them that big, juicy, tuition every year. They’re cool with customized uniforms so long as they aren’t too extreme.”

“Oh man,” Mario drooled. “I wanna go to that school.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes at him. “Yuck, Anyway, Phoenix, I was wondering if we could have a talk. It’s about...Felicity?” she said with a whisper.

“You’re not going to rest until you help her, huh?”

“I just can’t,” Rebecca said shaking her head. “She’s got so much spirit, so much potential.”

“So much fear,” Phoenix added. 

“Were you any different when you started?”

Phoenix paused. She sighed and said, “All right. Fine. What do you plan to do?”

“Kaitlyn, Mio, and I have something planned. We need you to help us iron out the details.”

“Hmm, well, if you feel determined to help her, I guess I’ll tag along. What do you need me to do?”

“Hey, can we help?” Rusty asked. 

“Nope. We don’t need any assistance,” said Rebecca. “Thanks though.”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, this is just for girls. Come on, Phoenix.”

“Wait, Phoenix!” Andre called. 

Phoenix turned. 

“How about a Duel? I just saw you playing and I’d like to test my strength against your Phoenix Dragon.”

“Some other time,” said Phoenix. “I’ve got a lot of stuff to do. After I help Rebecca out, of course.”

“Can we schedule a match?”

“Pfft, nope.”

“Hey! Why not?”

“Challenge me when you’re a Master. Then we’ll talk. Rusty, don’t you have to head home and finish that science project?”

“Yeah, you’re coming over, right?”

“Of course. After I talk with Rebecca, I’ll head right over. Andre and…” She glared at Mario who was gawking at her with a strange look. “Friend...uh, I suppose it was nice meeting you. See you around.”

Both girls walked away and disappeared behind some pine trees.

“Challenge me when you’re a Master!” Andre mocked. “Ha! She thinks she’s so hot.”

“She is so hot!” Mario swooned. “I think I’m in love!”

“Not her looks!” said Andre. “Her attitude. Geeze, how pretentious can you be?”

“She’s a nice girl once you get to know her,” said Rusty. “And like she said. If you want to duel her, get on her level, son.”

* * *

"What was I thinking?" Felicity thought, sitting in the tub for what felt like hours. The water, once steaming hot, was now warm like tea left out in the open for a long time. The bubbles had also gone down, reduced to nothing but mere suds. 

"I knew I wasn't cut out for this stupid game. My first match! My first match and I completely screwed things up. Just goes to show that moving to this damn city was a bad idea."

The door burst open, causing Felicity to jump and scream. Riley poked her head in with a bored expression on her face. “Yo! Sis! Will you hurry up and get your butt out of the tub I’ve been waiting for almost an hour!”

“All right, all right, I’m getting out,” said Felicity. “I just got a lot of stuff on my mind.”

“Don’t care. If you’re not out of the bathtub in two minutes, I’m dragging you out. And I won’t do it alone, either. Duncan’s with me.”

Felicity shrunk in the water and pouted. “Damn it, Riley, can’t you let a girl bathe in peace?” 

Felicity got out, dried herself down, and dashed into her room. She didn’t do it quick enough. Duncan saw her while he was doing his homework in the kitchen and hooted. Felicity stuck her arm out the door of her room and gave him the finger. She then slammed the door and changed into her pajamas. 

Just as she sat down in bed the doorbell rang. 

“Hey, Felicity!” Riley called. “Some weirdo in a blindfold wants to talk to you.”

“Huh?” Felicity got up from her bed and headed to the door. She saw someone dressed in black standing out in the hallway. It was a sleeveless coat with the hood down. Long, bright purple hair faded into white at the tips stuck out from the hood. Like Riley said, a black blindfold with purple LED lights was fastened over his eyes.

Riley snickered and said: “Tell your friend Halloween is over, will you?” she said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder towards the guy outside. 

Felicity pushed her out of the way and told her to get back to work. “Can I help you?” she said to the stranger. 

“You Felicity?” the guy in the blindfold asked. 

“Yes. What do you want?”

“My name’s Marcus. And I came to give this back to you,” he said. He held up a card. 

“Bolzard Dragon!” Felicity said taking it from his grip. “How did you…”

“You should never ante up your cards the way you did. As over the top as this sounds, cards are power. Wield them right, and they’ll take you to heights you wouldn’t even dream of climbing.”

“Ooookaaaay,” said Felicity. 

Marcus chuckled. “You don’t believe me, do you? Well, how did you think I found you?”

Felicity frowned. “Hey, wait a minute. That is a good question. Just how did you know where to find me?”

“That’s not important. You’re not a believer in the power behind this game.”

“What power? Do the cards...is there something about them that I don’t know?”

“When you played that Bolzard Dragon during your duel, did you notice anything?”

“I did,” said Felicity. “For a moment, I could hear him calling out to me in my mind. And when he attacked…” She paused. 

“What?”

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

Felicity gathered the courage to speak about what she saw. It couldn’t hurt. The guy was dressed like a video game character, so what’s the worse he could do? 

“You can see the monster in the card, can you?”

Felicity gasped and nodded her head twice. “Yes! Bolzard Dragon. I could almost see him flying towards Duncan. But I thought that was just my brain playing tricks on me.” 

“Hmm, interesting,” said Marcus. “Very interesting. Well, Felicity, it’s been real. But I need to get going now. Take better care of your cards. You just might discover some pretty interesting things if you do.”

“What kind of things.”

“You’ll learn in due time. See ya.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away.

“Weird guy,” Felicity said when he took the elevator down. As she walked back to her room she couldn’t help wondering what he said. How did he know she was seeing monsters? Could he see them too? 

“Ugh, no!” said Felicity. She dropped the idea that maybe the creatures could be real. But there was just no way. Marcus was probably some guy who took the game WAY too seriously. And perhaps he knew where she lived because he was a stalker. That thought made her shiver and rush to her blinds to close them. 

“It’s just a game,” Felicity said to herself. “It’s just a game.” 


	4. The Sisterhood of Flames and Steel

Far from the bright lights and tall buildings of Ryoya City, a quaint little village was nestled in the peaks of veridian-colored mountains. Even from here, the DMTECH tri-towers could be seen. The glow of the buildings reached out over the mountains, lighting up the night in a hue of bright yellow. The village was a quiet place with oriental buildings colored white with black kawara-tiled roofs and lit with rows of orange paper lamps.

Right by a pond teeming with Koi was a hut that was gated with a black fence. Inside, an elderly swordsmith was forging a beautiful katana, hot from the fires of his over, which was over a hundred-years-old. His hammering thundered through the walls, but it was a rather soothing sound.

Kaitlyn didn't mind it at all. It fascinated her to know that each strike from the hammer meant that flaming piece of metal was closer to becoming one of the many beautiful swords that adorned the house of her friend, Rei, an ebony-haired beauty, whose hair flowed down over her shoulders and down her back like a river of black ink hued with red.

Done with her homework, Rei put her books away and set her gold deck box on her desk to look through her deck.

"Going to prepare your deck again?" Kaitlyn asked.

"We are going to participate in the tag team tournament, are we not? I'd like to be prepared."

"Girl, you added and took out cards more times than I can count. I'm sure your deck is fine."

"Indeed," Rei said. "You'd better put some pants on before my grandpa comes up here. I wouldn't want him to think anything strange is happening."

"Strange?"

"Forgive my words. But you know as well as I how traditional he is."

"Well, I can't help it if it's really hot out here," Kaitlyn said, waving her cap over her face to give herself some air. "Besides, I'm sleeping over, remember?"

"Yes, but we agreed we'd only let you do that when we were done with our senior paper's outline. Well...we're done. I don't think there's any need for you to spend the night, Kaitlyn."

"But I want to stay here," Kaitlyn whined. "I love staying at your place. It's so peaceful and calm unlike the city back home. No wonder that Felicity girl was so upset moving from the country."

"I know. Just what is it that Rebecca has planned for her?"

"She didn't give me all the details, but I believe she wants us to help Felicity regain that love of Duel Masters she had before Geoff beat her and took her card. I kind of hope it works. That girl was very talented for a beginner and I'd hate to see her not play again. If she can kick that much ass during her first game, imagine what she'd be like as a veteran."

"I agree," said Rei. "Very well. I'll help you and your friend. And if you want to stay, that's fine. I see no problem with that. Just promise you don't get super cuddly like you usually do."

"No promises," Kaitlyn said winking.

Rei sighed and gave her eyes a roll as she grinned. "How has my grandfather tolerated you for so long?"

"Cuz you're my bestie!" Kaitlyn said jumping on Rei from behind and wrapping her arms around her neck. "Tomorrow marks three years since we've been friends!"

"That it does," Rei said, patting Kaitlyn's arm so she could let go. "You can let go of me now."

"Five more minutes!" Kaitlyn whined.

"No..."

"Aw, you're no fun," Kaitlyn let go and walked back to bed. "So that sword your grandpa's making. Is that the one he's going to give you for graduation?"

"Yes."

"Also what's with the chains?" Kaitlyn pointed a rusty link of very old, very thick chains.

"There's good metal in those. I'm going to forge those into a katana."

"You're going to make a katana out of old chains?" Kaitlyn asked. "You serious? Can something like that be done?"

"Grandpa says to never let good metal go to waste. You'd be surprised to find out what he used to make many of the swords in our collection. And the katana I'm going to make from those chains is the one I promised I would make you."

"Really? Gee, Rei, I thought I meant a little more to you than that. I don't see much being done with those. I mean look at them. They're rusty beyond belief."

"Never judge a book by its cover, my friend. I promise I'm going to make you the most beautiful, most powerful katana I've ever made."

Kaitlyn smiled at her. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

They both heard the pounding of Rei's grandfather's hammer stop, then heard the sound of gravel being crunched by a car outside the gate. The beat of loud music boomed from inside the vehicle. Kaitlyn and Rei looked out the window and saw a stretched limo parked outside.

"Oh no," Kaitlyn whispered. "It's Adam."

Rei put her arm around Kaitlyn's waist and held her close as they watched a young man with slicked blond hair walk out of the back seat. He was Kaitlyn's boyfriend, Adam Striker. Ever wanting to be the villain, he was dressed in a black pinstripe suit and a red tie over a black dress shirt. Even though it was night, he wore black aviator sunglasses with gold frames. He walked to the gate and called on Rei's grandfather to open it at once with a very disrespectful and commanding tone.

Even though Mr. Mitsurugi was old, he was very strong, healthy, and powerful. With one swipe of a katana, he could chop the arrogant bastard's head off. But the boy was from a very powerful, very dangerous, family. One that not even he would dare cross. He merely glared at the boy and walked to the gate. He opened it, letting Adam inside with his groupies, two very strong boys who were itching for trouble.

"You've got something that belongs to me, old man," Adam said, walking into the shop. "I need it back right now."

"She is studying," said the swordsmith. "If you had an ounce of respect in you, you'd let her focus on her schoolwork so she can have a bright career. One that can get her away from you."

Adam didn't listen and looked around at all the swords on display. "This is a nice one," he said picking up a katana sheathed in a black saya with gold designs. It was resting on a shelf with a picture of a very beautiful woman in the front surrounded by candles. "I'll take it."

"No!" said Mr. Mitsurugi. "That's not for sale. It belonged to Rei's mother."

"I didn't say I was going to buy it. I said I was going to take it. It's my birthday. And I want this one."

"You will do no such thing," said Mr. Mitsurugi.

"I will...unless, of course, you make me one as a birthday gift. That's all I'm asking, sir. Make me a katana and I promise I'll put this down."

"A fool such as you is not worthy of such a blade. But if it means saving my daughter's sword, so be it. Hmph. All the money from your father has polluted your mind and spirit. You think you can take what doesn't belong to you. One day, Adam, that power will come back to haunt you."

"Spare me," Adam said, tossing the sword back in its display. The impact knocked the photo down and one of the candles tipped over. "Where's my girlfriend? I need her for the night. Oh, and Rei, too. I wouldn't want her missing the fun."

"Take Kaitlyn if you want, but you leave my granddaughter out of this, you cur!"

Adam smiled. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm having a party over at my estate and we're dreadfully short on female guests. I'd love for her to come." He sneered. "And I'm not asking. Tell her and Kaitlyn to freshen up. I'll be waiting in my limo. Oh, and thanks for the sword, gramps. It better be a good one."

"That bastard," said Rei. "It makes me sick that my grandfather has to forge him a sword."

"I know," said Kaitlyn. "Come on, Rei. We need to get ready for the party."

"But I don't want to go to his stupid party."

"We have no choice," said Kaitlyn. "We are a part of his...his group."

"You mean harem?"

Kaitlyn wry faced and bit her bottom lip nervously as her cheeks turned red. "Well...I don't want to put it that way."

"Don't try and sugar coat it, Kate. It is what it is. Argh!" She slammed her fist on her desk. "I wouldn't have been part of this if he didn't swipe my Sword Flash Dragon from me." Rei slammed her fists on the windowsill. "Damn it, if I didn't love that card so much."

"You and your card share a bond, and that's so sweet," said Kaitlyn. "I'd hate for it to be in his hands. Don't blame your love for the card for you being trapped in this mess. It's my fault. If we never met, none of this would have happened. It would have been best if we didn't become friends."

"That's not true," Rei said. "I'm glad to be your friend, Kaitlyn. We'll find a way out of this."

"I sure hope you're right."

* * *

The lights of the stadium dimmed as powerful music started to play. Suddenly fire burst out of a stage revealing the arena grand champion, Shobu Karifuda. The legend himself had finally arrived and was ready to duel. The fans got up from their seats and cheered so loud that the arena shook.

"I'm going to be just like him one day!" Rusty said, swinging his arm around. In between his fingers was his Bolshack Dragon card. "I'll be standing there in that arena and people will be cheering my name. You think I can do it, Andre?" No answer. "Andre?" Rusty turned around and saw his friend staring out the window.

"He's sulking again, man," said Mario. "Andre, you're taking this way too personally."

Andre didn't listen. His eyes were still glued to the big black skyscraper outlined with blue neon. "Adam Striker," he said. "He's throwing another one of his "I'm the richest duelists in the universe party', the jackass."

"Well, he is friends with Marcus," said Mario. "They're really tight, remember? And knowing how much of beef he's got against you, it ain't surprising that he might have told Striker to keep your name off the list."

"I thought you said not being invited didn't bother you," said Rusty.

"I'm not. I'm bothered that our friends are going there," he turned to look away from the window. "Geez, Rusty, aren't you the least bit worried about your friend Rebecca and Phoenix? I heard some stories about that Adam Striker guy that will make your skin crawl."

"But the chicks still dig him," said Mario. "So long as he's got the dough, they don't care how far he's willing to go."

Andre stepped away from the window and reviled from those words. "What a dumb thing to say. You're making it sound like girls want to be easy."

"Some girls are like that," said Rusty.

"Some girls aren't. I figured Rebecca and Phoenix weren't either."

"They can take care of themselves," said Rusty. "They're tough and they've got Flynn, Trey, and Luc to watch over them. They'll be fine. Now stop staring out the window. The more you look at that tower, the more you're going to get sick with worry and ruin our night. Come on, I've got to get to bed in a couple of hours. It's a school night."

"Just makes me even more disappointed at them," said Andre. "I thought they cared about their studies."

"It's an Adam Striker party," said Mario. "They're not there so they can mingle or relish in the fact that they are cool enough to be there. They're there because he's got connections to the big leagues. Man, what I'd give to be up there. Say, Rusty, you're one of the Big Five. Why aren't you at the party?"

"I'm too young," Rusty replied. "And on top of that, I hate parties."

"Why aren't you there?" Andre said looking at Mario.

"My rank isn't high enough for Adam to even consider me."

Andre laughed at him. "I thought you were a pro."

"Well, uh...you see, after that tournament fiasco, I was reduced to rank zero. But with this deck I bought, I was able to increase to Amateur."

"Yeah, that's not even going to make Adam even consider you for the gutter outside."

"Who cares!" Rusty said, slamming his fists on the ground. "Now are we going to duel or what? If I have to see you sulk out the window again, I'm going home, man. This is turning into a drag."

"Sorry, Rusty, my bad. I'll order some pizza."

"YEAH!" Mario said, high-fiving Andre. "I want a pizza hero sandwich!"

"Coming right up. But you and I are going to duel."

"Aww, I wanted the first match," said Rusty.

"Ah, you always duel Andre," said Mario. "Let me have a chance. And forget those losers and their party. The more we practice, the more points we get to advance in rank."

"Yeah, but the points decrease if you duel the same person," said Andre. "So let's not drag this out for too long."

After he ordered the food, he and Mario sat down around a white plastic table in the middle of an empty room that Andre used as his game room.

"Shields up!" said Andre.

"Shields are up!" said Mario. "Let's see what this new deck of mine can do."

"Remember, you have to give it back to me if you don't win the tournament. Since I practically paid for the deck."

"I'm a man of my word now, Andre. You can trust me. I set one mana and summon Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!"

"I set one mana as well," said Andre. "And now I summon Aqua Gaurd."

"Oooh, a Blocker," said Mario. "No matter. I tap two and summon Mini Titan Gett! Now I attack with Deadly Fighter Braid Claw."

"I'll let you have that shield," Andre said, adding the card to his hand. "Awesome. It's a Shield Trigger. Burst Shot. Now all of your creatures with power 2000 or less are destroyed. It's my turn now and I add another mana."

"A dark mana, huh?" said Rusty.

"Yeah, and I summon Brawler Zyler."

Mario drew his next card. "I like where this is going. See, we're having way more fun than those losers at the party."

"Mario!" snapped Rusty.

"Oh, right, sorry. I summon Cragsaur. That'll do it for me."

"All right, my turn. I tap three and cast the spell, Game on! Charger. Now one of my creatures can attack untapped creatures this turn. And since this card is a Charger spell, I can add it to my mana pool. Brawler Zyler will strike your Cragsaur. Ike."

"Wow," said Rusty. "You guys are doing a good job of wiping out your fields. Looks like it's back to square one, Mario."

"We'll just see about that," Mario said. "I summon another Deadly Fighter Braid Claw. Next, I cast the spell, Dash Charger. This will take away Braid Claw's summoning sickness, so he can attack this turn. And like your spell, this one's a Charger, so I can add it to my mana zone. Deadly Fighter Braid Claw, Ike!"

"Damn," said Andre.

"That's two shields down, bro," said Rusty.

"Yeah, but the shield he took down is a trigger. Aqua Banner. When he's summoned, I can draw two cards. Now I tap five and summon Immortal Baron Vorg and Phantom Fish, a Blocker."

"Now it's a party!" said Mario. "I cast Meteor Charger. This will destroy one of your monsters with Blocker. So your Phantom Fish is fried. Heh, heh. And it's a Charger so it gets added to my mana pool. Deadly Fighter Braid Claw, Ike!"

"Oh, man!" said Andre. "I've only got two shields left. Damn, Mario. That deck of yours is good."

"Thanks, Andre, ol' chum. See? I told you it was a good investment."

"Yeah, but you're not beating me. I tap six and summon Bolshack Dragon!"

"Aw, yeah! Here we go!"

"Don't look so happy, bud. Immortal Baron Vorg and Aqua Banner will attack!"

Mario picked up his two shields and added them to his hand. One of them he flipped over. "Damn. And I bet you thought you had me, bro. Burst Shot. Now all of your creatures with power 2000 or less are destroyed. Man, if only you could see the look on your face. It's ace against ace now. Let's see if maybe this guy can turn things around. I tap seven and summon Raging Dragon Lord!"

"Aw, man!" said Andre. "You summoned him already!"

"That's right. And now I activate the spell, Ultimate Defense Command Code. Until the beginning of my next turn, Raging Dragon Lord will get Blocker. So don't even think about attacking me with Bolshack Dragon."

"I won't have to," said Andre. "I summon Mini Titan Gett. Then I evolve him into Armored Blastor Valdios. You can block one of these guys, Mario, but you can't block both. I'm coming for ya! Valdios attack. He's a double breaker. You going to let this one go?"

"No. I block with Raging Dragon Lord. Valdios is destroyed."

"Then here comes Bolshack Dragon! Ike!"

Mario caught his shields. "Getting desperate, Andre? It's not like you to summon something so powerful and sacrifice it like that. Raging Dragon Lord, attack his shield. Down to your last one, buddy."

"It's not over until it's over," said Andre. "Okay. These next few cards are going to decide the match for us."

"Bring it on!"

"You want it, you got it! I cast the spell Lock-On Deadly Blow."

"Hey, a multi-civ card!" said Rusty. "So that explains the dark mana you added earlier."

"That's right. And this card gives my Bolshack Dragon the power of Slayer, meaning he brings down any monster that does battle with him. And he can also attack untapped creatures."

"Argh! No! My Raging Dragon Lord."

"He's been slain!" said Andre. "Bolshack Dragon, take down his Raging Dragon Lord, Ike!"

"Wow!" said Rusty. "Nice move, Andre. You took down his dragon."

Mario gulped. "Damn. I thought I had you! Let's see what I've got with me this turn. I draw! Oh yeah! I tap three and summon Pyrofighter Magnus! He's a speed attacker, so he doesn't get summoning sickness. Now he's going to shatter your last shield. And Pyrofighter Magnus returns to my hand at the end of the turn."

"It all comes down to this," said Andre. He drew and smiled. "Revolver Fish!"

"NO! A Blocker!" Mario yelped. "Aww, come on! Talk about a lucky draw! Come on, deck. Pull through for me! Aw, shoot! A spell! I end my turn."

"I summon Scarlet Skyterror."

"I summon Aggressive Kaiser."

"I summon a second Revolver Fish," said Andre. "And Scarlet Skyterror moves in on your last shield."

"Damn it!" Mario shouted. "I call on Badlands Lizard."

"And that's game. Nice duel, Mario."

"Oh no! It's not over! Come on! Best two out of three?"

"Get in line," said Rusty. "I called on the next duel. Now get out of the way."

* * *

Felicity wasn't very sure about attending the event she had been invited to. But the letter she got this morning from Marcus told her that the rich and very extravagant host of the festivities was going to be more than happy to have her over.

Even though she didn't like Ms. Anne very much, the woman was so proud to learn that Felicity had been invited to the birthday of the son of Striker Industries CEO. Anne went out of her way to get Felicity a dress just for the occasion. She didn't want to go, but the curiosity of going to a big party intrigued her.

She had seen images of loud and flashy parties on TV when she watched spring break specials on the music channel. Though there was a tinge of fear burning in her chest, Felicity was more fascinated about the party than anything. She hired a cab with a transportation app on her phone and waited two minutes for her ride to arrive.

The driver quickly took her to the train station. As she got out of the car, Felicity noticed a lot of other youths dressed nicely in fine party outfits, all of them attending the big birthday party going on in the big blue tower near the edge of the city.

Once she climbed the stairs to the top of the platform, the giant magnet train arrived and came to a stop. Felicity followed the other youths into the train and sat down.

As the train got close, Felicity could see bright, multicolored, lights flashing on the top floor of the tower where the party was held. There were fireworks in the sky and a concert going on in the plaza. Whoever this Adam Striker guy is, Felicity thought, he must be a very important person.

"Felicity!" someone called.

Felicity searched for the voice. Rebecca was coming towards her. Her hair was curled and covered in gold stars. There was a lot of makeup around her eyes and her lips were sparkling and pink. She wore a tight blue party dress and a choker with a bow.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Did you get invited?"

"Yes," Felicity said. She dug into her purse and showed Rebecca her invitation.

"How gave that to you? Adam Striker's parties are strictly VIP. Only the best players in the city are allowed to go. Professional or Master Rank only. Let me see the invitation."

"Please do," said Felicity. "I'm just as stunned as you are." She handed her the card.

Rebecca formed a grim expression when she saw the name on the card. "Uh oh. Marcus? How in the world did you get to know Marcus?

"I really don't know what's going on, Rebecca. I'm starting to feel like everyone in this town is a little loopy. He gave me my Bolzard Dragon back."

"He did? Woah, that explains everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Geoff, the guy who took your card, he was found shivering in a fetal position underneath a bridge. Something awful must have scared him. We all had a feeling Marcus was behind it but now that you told me he returned your Bolzard Dragon card, things are making sense."

"Hello, ladies," said a guard. He was a young guy, no more than sixteen. He was sharply dressed in a suit and tie. He had on a visor with holographic lenses with data flowing over them. "Welcome to the Scepter, Adam Striker's personal playground. You're both looking very radiant tonight. I hate to be that guy but I'm going to need your invitations."

"Of course," said Rebecca.

Felicity showed him hers.

"Okay. Everything checks out. "Let me just stamp your hands to show you're good to enter. Of course, I doubt I'd have to. Mr. Striker is a great admirer of beauty. He would have let you in a heartbeat. Have fun, girls."

They both walked into the lobby, quickening their pace after hearing the guard whistling behind them, admiring their backsides pressed against their tight party dresses.

"What a creep!" Felicity said as the door closed behind them. "Wow!" she admired how high the atrium alone was. It went up almost two hundred feet. Giant chandeliers hung from the ceiling and there was a fountain with statues with six Armored Dragons in powerful poses. They had water shooting out of their mouths, dripping into a pool where a few girls jumped in a started slashing around.

Rebecca held Felicity's hand to keep her close. "I still can't believe Marcus is the one who did that damage to Geoff. Things make more and more sense by the minute."

"Well, nothing is making any sense to me. Please, Rebecca. I'm starting to get really worried right now. He knew things about me."

"What kind of things?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Come on," Rebecca said. She led Felicity to the powder room in the lobby of Adam's building so they could talk in peace. "What's going on, Felicity. Tell me everything."

"Well...do you remember when I first dueled?"

"How can I forget?"

"Well, for a moment...I saw Bolzard Dragon."

Rebecca smiled and clasped her hands together in joy. "Saw it? As in...you actually saw him in front of you?"

"Yes...is that a good thing."

Rebecca squealed with delight and hugged Felicity tightly in her arms. "Oh my goodness! Felicity, not just anyone can see monsters without holograms. You have a very special gift. This is how Kaijudo Masters are born."

"Kaijudo?"

"It's a special art that revolves on giant monsters. The ones who master this art are called Kaijudo Masters. True Duelists. These people have connections to the monster world."

"Monster world? You mean to tell me the creatures in these cards exist?"

"I know it sounds farfetched but it's true, you've got to believe me, Felicity. It starts off with things like this. Prodigious talents in the game, dreams, or visions of monsters flashing before your eyes. There are some duelists out there who can not only see the monsters but can actually summon them. You see them standing there in front of you with your own two eyes. You can see them breathing, snarling, moving. I know because I've seen monsters, too."

"You see them as well?"

"I can, Trey can, Luc and Flynn as well. Rusty, too, even though he's so young. This explains so much about you. Your luck during the duel. All the cards you played. You have the touch. If you'd only just tap into that power."

"I don't understand. I think you people take this game way too seriously here."

"It's not that, Felicity. Please. You've got to let us help you. Now that you've got your Bolzard Dragon back we could..."

"No," Felicity said turning around. "I can't. I don't want to duel again."

"What?"

"I can't. I don't...I don't want to lose Bolzard Dragon again."

"Felicity..."

"Don't try and coax me, please. I've made my choice."

"Then what's the point of having your deck?"

Felicity didn't say anything and leaned over the sink, supporting herself on her arms. "You wouldn't understand."

"It's a bond," said Rebecca.

"Yeah...so. I think my cards are cool, is all."

"I think there's a lot more to you than that. Come on, I'll get you a soda upstairs."

Felicity smiled. "I'd like that very much, Rebecca."

They walked to the nearest elevator that took them all the way up to the 50th floor of the tower where Adam's party was being held. Felicity covered her ears with her palms when the elevator doors opened and the loud music pulsed inside.

"Oh my!" said Rebecca. "Quite a crowd, huh?"

"You said it," said Felicity. "YAAAAA!" She almost fell backward when a giant monster hologram materialized in front of her. The partiers held up their hands and cheered. A DJ in his booth was letting loose to match the mood of the duel going on at the center of the giant chamber of glass.

"Look there!" said Felicity. "It's Kaitlyn!"

Rebecca looked over someone's shoulder and saw spotted the blonde duelist side by side with a girl with long black hair. "Rei!" said Rebecca. "Wow, she and Kaitlyn are in a tag team match."

Rebecca led Felicity by the hand to a table on the second floor that overlooked the arena. Once they sat down, someone asked what they wanted. Two lime sodas were all they asked for and a plate of finger sandwiches. When the waiter left, the girls looked over the glass railing to get a better look at Kaitlyn and Rei. Both of them were dressed in really racy outfits. Kaitlyn was in a sparkling ruby red dress and her hair was elegantly curled. Rei was wearing a very, very, short black and red kimono, black thigh-high tabi, and black stiletto boots. Her hair was decorated with flowery accessories that hung past her chin. In front of her was a dragon clad in colossal samurai armor called Bolbalzak "Sword Flash" Dragon.

Right next to the arena, which was beautifully outlined with gold and blue LED lights, was a staircase leading up to a pyramid-shaped platform standing over fifteen fight high. Sitting on a throne was the guest of honor himself. Adam Striker in all his glory. He had a glass of fruit punch in his hand and six girls were sitting all around him, one of whom was massaging his shoulders as he enjoyed the battle below.

Kaitlyn and Rei's two opponents summoned two giant monsters to the field to deal with them. One of the boys dueling them cast a spell called Death Smoke, which could destroy a monster on the field. He targeted Kaitlyn's Garkago Dragon. The beast wreeled around in agony, choking, gasping for air. Then he shattered and turned into orbs of light.

"Hahaha! So much for your Garkago Dragon, Kaitlyn! Now behold my beast! Trox, General of Destruction!" he said, summoning a towering demon with a long body and four arms, two of which clutched a giant ax to fight.

"Now that he's been summoned, you two girls have to discard a card from your hand."

Kaitlyn and Rei looked at each other. Kaitlyn, glowing against the bright blue holographic screens in front of her winked and sent Rei an air kiss, letting her know everything was being taken care of.

"My turn," said the dark duelist's partner. "I summon Giriel, Ghastly Warrior! Then I cast Godspeed Trick, Explosive Swordsmanship. This will grant my monster the ability of Speed Attacker, so he doesn't get any summoning sickness. And since I have two more shields than you do, I can draw an extra card. Giriel, attack Rei's shields!"

The towering mutant reared up on its hind legs and dashed toward Rei, slashing both her shields with his huge iron sword.

"You've activated a Shield Trigger," Rei said. "Batocross Battle, Passion Dragon."

"That's the card you said would have helped me win, right?" Felicity asked.

Rebecca nodded and continued to watch the match.

Rei and Kaitlyn high-fived. "Now Trox and my dragon must fight!"

"No! Wait!" shouted her opponent.

Trox held up his ax and snarled at Batocross Battle, Passion Dragon. The heavily armored dragon soared around him, firing balls of flames at his foe from the Darkness Civilization. Trox swung his ax around, trying to swat Passion Dragon from the sky, but he was too quick and too powerful. Passion Dragon eventually broke Trox's ax with one punch then used all six of his arms to deliver powerful punches, pummeling Trox down. The defeated fiend wailed and vanished into light that scattered around the venue. Passion Dragon held up his arms and roared before vanishing to the bottom of Rei's deck. The partiers cheered, waiting to see what Kaitlyn and Rei had to deal with them.

"I cast Reload Charger. I discard a card then draw a card. Then, I add my spell to the mana zone since it's a Charger. Now I have enough mana to call on this guy. I summon 5000GT Riot!"

"Wait a minute! His mana cost is twelve? How can you summon him already?"

"He costs one less for each creature in my graveyard. Come on out, baby!" Kaitlyn passionately kissed the card before placing it down on the field.

"I wish I was that card, man!" someone in the crowd said.

The holographic systems did their magic and rendered the giant armored beast in full form. He spun around and cloaked himself in fire before holding up his gauntlet, equipped with all sorts of deadly weapons such as claws, mantis scythes, and a buzzsaw, all colored in gold.

"Looks like you guys are out of luck," said Kaitlyn. "5000GT Riot is a speed attacker and a Triple Breaker, meaning he's REALLY going to smash up your shields. Now, which one of you is going to get it. Eenie, meeny, miney, NO! I know just who to strike next. You, the asshole who iced my Garkago Dragon. 5000GT Riot, smash him down!"

5000GT Riot held up his gauntlet. He fired his buzzsaw at the three shields. The buzzsaw flew around the arena and cut the guy's shields down, leaving him with nothing. One more attack and he was done for.

"Rei, take it away, hon!" said Kaitlyn.

"Will do, Kait. I tap seven and summon Nine Edge "Yasha" Dragon!" Her cards started glowing red and her hand was engulfed in what looked like fire. Another dragon dressed in samurai armor appeared out of a gate of fire.

Both opponents were getting nervous now making Rei smile.

"When Yasha Dragon is summoned, I can search my deck for Cross Gear cards that cost 3 or less and I can summon one for each Dragon I have on the battle zone and equip those gears to one of my dragons. I cross Bolbalzak "Sword Flash" Dragon with Dragon Gear Sengoku Topper and Bajula's Soul!"

The crowd gasped in awe watching as Bolbalzak was shrouded in an even thicker layer of armor. Then, Bajula's Souls came down, giving him more power and adding more bulk to his already huge cuirass and two giant flaming balls attached to each other with a chain.

"Woah, Rei," said Kaitlyn. "I don't think that dragon can get any bigger."

"Nonsense," said Red. "I tap one mana to summon Flame Sword - Pierce Accela. Then I tap one more to cross it with my Bolbalzak."

The dragon sheathed one his katanas then held out his claw to grab a flaming sword that came out of nowhere. "Finally, I tap three to evolve Flame Sword into Dragon Blade - Yanmato Spirit!"

The sword grew even massive in size and sprouted ornaments that resembled dragon claws, teeth, bodies, and wings.

"And guess what," Rei said. "I'm far from done. When I have five Samurai cards on the battle zone, I can summon this creature for no cost. Bolmeteus "Kensei" Dragon appear!"

After the dragon flew down from the ceiling like a comet it roared ferociously. Felicity grabbed Rebecca's arm. "I don't believe it!" said she. "Did you see all those cards she played!? I wish I could play the way they do!"

"You could if you learned," said Rebecca.

Felicity went quiet and didn't say another thing after that.

"TODOME DA!" both girls shouted on their next turn.

Their creatures soared over the two boys and blasted them right off the arena. The big party chamber erupted into loud applause. Adam smiled and began to walk the pyramid. Meanwhile, all the monsters on the Battle Zone except Kaitlyn's 5000GT Riot and Rei's Bolbalzak "Sword Flash" Dragon vanished. The cross gear that the samurai dragon was wearing vanished and his gear returned to normal. Kaitlyn and Rei then held up their hands and their dragons roared victoriously. Their celebration was cut short. In the blink of an eye, Adam was right there. He approached them from behind and squeezed their butts with each hand, Kaitlyn's on his left and Rei's on his right.

Bolbalzak and 5000GT Riot seemed to take notice of this and snarled at Adam, but he didn't care. He put his arm over the girl's shoulders. "Let's hear it for my most talented and hottest duelists!" he said. "Come on, everyone! Give it up for Kaitlyn Barrett and her partner in crime, Rei Mitsurugi! Aren't they the greatest!"

"Man, that's sick," said Luc. He came to their table with Flynn, Phoenix, and Trey.

"What a way to sour one's victory," said Phoenix. "Felicity. I can't believe you're here."

"Join the club," said Felicity.

"So you're the girl Rebecca's been talking about," said Flynn. "I understand you show a lot of promise."

"Not anymore," said Felicity. "I can't duel anymore."

Luc crossed his arms. "No way! You're going to fold up after one loss."

"A loss that shouldn't have happened," said Felicity. "I know about the card Rebecca told me about. It just goes to show how incompetent I am at this game if I can't even bother to read my cards and just accept defeat."

"It happens to the best of us," said Trey. "Trust me, I know it can get a little scary at first, but in time, you'll be able to duel like a pro. We can help you there."

"Yeah, help her if she wants to lose over and over again," Marcus said coming up the stairs. "Felicity. Glad you could join us. Allow me to introduce the one who can REALLY improve your game. Adam Striker."

Adam triumphantly walked up the stairs as if on queue with Kaitlyn and Rei in each arm. A flock of other girls followed him, one of whom was the girl Caitlan.

"Oh no, you too?" said Rebecca.

Caitlan smirked at her. "Adam's where it's at," she said. "Thanks to him, I finally got the cards I need to beat that dork who defeated me and I'll be on my way to the grand colosseum at the heart of the city dueling the likes of Shobu and Kokujo."

"Only the best for my girls," said Adam. He freed Kaitlyn and Rei from his grasp and got closer to the table to look at Felicity. "So, you're Felicity Reagan. Marcus has told me all about you. I do hope you've thanked him for getting your Bolzard Dragon back."

"He did?" said Trey. "Why on earth would you do that, Marcus? A good deed seems so out of character for you."

Adam held up his palm to shut Trey up. "Marcus has a sense for talented players. I need that sense of his to find girls with the special touch. That's how I was able to find my stars here. Kaitlyn and Rei. What did you think of their performance?"

"I thought it was wonderful."

"And wouldn't it be so cool if you could duel like them, Felicity?"

"Hey, don't listen to him," said Luc. "Adam wants only one thing from you and it's not your skills."

"True, true. Aside from having skilled girls in my flock, I do love for them to have great beauty. And my, my, look at you. Felicity, sweetheart, you are a work of art. You, too, Rebecca. You've grown over the summer, huh. I'm still shocked you haven't even considered joining my group. Phoenix. Even though you don't have the same gift, I'd love for you to stick around more often."

"Up yours," said Phoenix.

"Yeah! I'd rather be free and grow my own way," Rebecca said sharply. "I refuse to be some trinket to make you look good. Same with Felicity."

"Well, that's up to her to decide, isn't it?" said Marcus. "Don't listen to these losers, Felicity. They have no idea what kind of power you have. Only I can help you unlock it. And Adam will give you the tools you need to harness that power and turn it into a deadly weapon. With a little practice, you'll soon play like these two right here. Maybe even better."

"He's right," said Adam. "When Kaitlyn told me about how you lost your Bolzard Dragon to that fool, Geoff, I was hurt. I couldn't allow some jerkoff like him to ruin the spirit of a promising player such as you. The moment I spoke your name to Marcus, he could sense there was something special in you. He's still a True Duelist. A very powerful one, too. He could use your bond with your card to take him home back to you."

"What did you do to Geoff?" asked Trey.

"Scared him to death," sneered Marcus. "I gave him more than he bargained for."

"He must have summoned the monsters for real," said Luc.

"Bingo!" said Marcus.

"So it's true?" gasped Felicity. "The monsters are...are real?"

"Very real," said Adam. "And only a few can harness their power the way Marcus did to beat the living daylights out of Geoff."

"Yes," said Marcus. "Come on, Felicity. You have skill with the art of Kaijudo. You'll need a teacher. I can help you."

Adam nodded. "Felicity, come join us. Unlock your true potential with me."

"At the cost of her humanity?" said Phoenix. "Don't do it, Felicity. He has no interest in your powers. He just wants brainless Kaijudo thots in his crew. Like these idiots two who sold their souls to him."

Kaitlyn and Rei both sadly looked away.

"I'll have to think about it," said Felicity. "I'm not sure I want to duel just yet."

"It's the fear I told you about," said Marcus. "It clouds your potential. Only I can help you get rid of that fear and harness your gift like a sword."

"Give her time, Marcus," said Adam. "If that's what she wants, then that's what she wants." He laughed and brushed a long lock of his golden hair off his face. "I must admit, all this can be rather intimidating, can it? Well, Felicity, here. Take this card as a gift." He reached into the pocket of his blazer and tossed Felicity a card.

"Oh!" said Felicity.

"Wow, now that's a powerful card," said Flynn.

"And that's not even close to what I can reward you with when you tag along with me," said Adam. "I treat my girls right. Don't I, ladies?"

Kaitlyn and Rei didn't say a thing.

"Cats got their tongue?" someone asked. The entire group gasped in shock when they saw Kyoshiro Kokujo standing behind Adam.

"It's him!" whispered Phoenix.

"I don't believe it!" said Flynn. "The Grim Reaper himself."

"Kokujo!" said Adam. "I'm glad you could make it. So, uh, where's your apprentice? I thought he'd come over."

"He's busy training at the temple," said Kokujo. "Listen, we need to have a talk."

"Of course," said Adam. "Rei, Kait. Be good girls and entertain our guests. The big boys need to talk."

Kokujo spat. "You'll never be a Kaijudo Master acting like this."

"Don't be jealous, man. What do you need?"

Marcus huffed and saluted Felicity before leaving them, too. When they were gone, Kaitlyn looked at the group. "I told you not to bring her here!" she said. "Why didn't you listen?"

"I didn't expect things would be this bad," said Rebecca.

"Bad?" said Luc. "No way. This is downright insane! Felicity can see monsters like we do?"

"No wonder Adam has such an interest in her," said Phoenix.

"Felicity, you need to get out of here," said Kaitlyn. "Nothing good will come if you accept Adam's offer."

"Oh but..."

"Don't worry," said Phoenix. She walked to Felicity and put her hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to take care of her. I'm not going to let her turn into a mindless puppet to be used for Adam's pleasure. She's going to be way better than you two."

"I'm sure," said Rei. "She has a strong spirit. I know in my heart she won't keel over to Adam's desire the way we did."

"She won't," said Rebecca. "Not if we have anything to say about it. But we've got to do something about that fear of hers. Felicity, you free this weekend?"

"I guess so. Why?"

"We have something planned for you."

"Yes," said Rei. "Please, don't forget to bring your deck."


	5. A Tale of Two Armored Dragons

Another morning in Ryosa City. Another glorious day for getting what he wanted and making people's lives miserable just to get it. Adam sat down on a comfy armchair that stood in front of a window in his massive bed-chamber. The night sky was turning metallic blue but the neon lights and holographic billboards of the city shined brightly, making the cityscape glow vividly with color. He loved this view of the city. Being up high above even some of the tallest and most important buildings. It made him feel like a king and the people below his peasants. He laughed loudly, his joy echoing across the bedroom. He was reading the comics of the city newspaper while holding an ice-cold glass of fruit punch. To his left was a stack of pancakes soaked in syrup and coated with butter.

"Oh, where do they come up with this stuff?" he asked, reading another comic strip.

"You're up early," Marcus said entering the chamber.

"As are you," Adam said, not even bothering to look at him. "You told me getting Felicity was going to be easy. Well, it's another day without her. I need her Marcus. She's exactly what I'm looking for. I felt the gift radiating from inside that beautiful body of hers. She has the potential to be trained into a Kaijudo Master, like me. I want her!"

"I didn't think she was tight with Trey's group," he replied.

"This isn't going to be a problem is it, Marcus? Those kids gave you and your old boss 'The Widow' a hard time with that fiasco with the card pieces. I spent a lot of money getting you good Darkness cards and you didn't succeed with your mission. If Felicity winds up being out of my grasp, I'm going to lose faith in you, Marcus."

"I'll train her," Marcus said. "Underneath all that fear and doubt, there's a desire to win. There's potential. Kaitlyn saw it when she witnessed Felicity dueling Geoff."

"Speaking of which, don't you think playing him in a Kaijudo Duel was a little...too much? The monsters you summoned practically scared him to death. I saw the state of him in the papers. Marcus...he's really messed up."

"He got what was coming to him," Marcus said with an evil grin.

"Try to keep it subtle next time. If any of this gets traced back to me, I'm going to have to deal with the press and pay money to keep people quiet. You know I hate wasting money like that, man. Also, do keep an eye on Felicity. If she spends any more time with the crew that beat you and your friends, she'll be harder and harder to reach. They're persuasive, Marcus. They'll find some way to convince her to stick with them."

"And if that happens?"

"Then ruin her the way you did Geoff. I don't want her being used against me. Either I have her and control her gift, or no one does."

"You can't keep holding back potential True Duelists like this," said Marcus. "Just how long do think you can sit around and play gangster, huh? You hired me because you wanted the best. I see now that you only want a flock of girls at your sides like Dan Bilzerian or something. This game of yours isn't going to last long, Adam. You're playing with forces you don't seem to understand."

"Oh, I understand, all right. I perfectly understand what's at work here, Marcus. Don't you worry about a thing, Marcus. Those girls and their skills are going to waste. I assure you everything is being taken care of."

"I do hope you're right," said Marcus. "I'm off then. Oh, by the way, it's Friday. Where's my pay?"

"Figures," Adam said. He dug into the side of his armchair and tossed Marcus a thick vanilla envelope. "Don't spend it all at once, now."

"Whatever," Marcus said. He stuffed the envelope into his pocket and left Adam alone.

When he was gone, Adam got off his armchair and walked up the spiraled wooden staircase to the second level of his room. The staircase was lit with black iron lamps and white LEDs lit the edge of the stairs. Adam checked to make sure no one was around before pulling on the statue of a naked goddess, which acted like a lever that caused a panel on the wall to slide up and reveal a small terminal. Adam typed the password with one hand then scanned his palm. A hidden door opened, revealing a long tunnel with chrome floors and walls lit with blue lights. He walked through the tunnel and scanned his palm on a scanner beside a vaulted chrome door leading to a secret lab inside. Adam grinned as he walked into the lab and stopped in front of a white cylinder-shaped structure accented with glowing designs. It stood in front of him decorated with statues of naked women with wings carrying swords, shields, pikes, and scales.

Adam walked toward the cylinder and touched the bust of one of the winged women and a holographic terminal digitized in front of him. He punched in another password on the keys. Steam hissed from the cylinder. The white layer slid off like doors revealing a stasis tank inside. It was glowing with blue LED lights illuminated from inside. Bubbles floated around a figure inside. Adam turned on more lights and revealed a girl sleeping naked inside the tank. An oxygen mask with glowing blue accents was placed over her mouth and nose. Her hair waved around her and tubes were stuck on various parts of her body to send data to the terminals around her tank.

Adam raised his glass of fruit punch at the girl and smiled when he saw everything read 100%. "You're doing beautifully this morning, my dear. Don't worry. You'll wake very soon. And you, Felicity Reagan, are going to help me make that happen."

* * *

Bzzz! Bzzz! Went the alarm.

Grrrr! The thunder rumbled outside his window.

Knock! Knock! Knock! His brother knocked loudly outside the door.

It's as if everything in the universe was working all together to get him out of bed. Eren Keegan's heavy eyelids rose up and his eyes beheld the boring white ceiling of the room he was staying in. This was his older brother Weaver's apartment. After losing his father to the Ajax Virus plaguing his country, Eren had nowhere to go. His mother...God only knew where she was. And he had no relatives, other than a drunken uncle not fit to raise him. After a few phone calls and tons of paperwork, Weaver was able to get his little brother to come to the country and stay with him. After being treated and examined for days, Eren was given a clean bill of health and was granted a pass to fly over to Ryoya and stay with his brother, living with his girlfriend in the lower-end districts of the city.

It could have been worse, but then again, it could have been better. They were on the edge with the high-end districts. A building with bright orange neon shined brightly on the other side of a bridge that acted like a barrier between the rich and the poor. Even with the shades down, they still illuminated his room with their fiery glow. And there was a drug store across the street with a red and blue neon sign that flashed day in and day out, splashing his room with a little more color.

Lo-fi music was playing on his laptop, which he kept on all night to help him sleep and cure the homesickness bothering his gut. Eren missed his old home. He missed his friends. His teacher; a mentor who helped him uncover his love of writing, and his crush, Ludmilla.

"Hey!" Weaver called from outside the door. "Come on, little bro, it's almost time for school. Get your ass out of bed and get dressed."

Eren dragged himself out of bed and stretched. Lighting flashed outside his window. He counted down the seconds before the thunder clapped and shook the apartment. He dressed himself in a hooded jacket that had zippers in unnecessary places, pockets on the sleeves, and belts on the hood for display. Then he slipped on some baggy jeans, placed a skullcap beaning over his shaggy brown hair, and finally put his RGB headphones over his neck. The pride and joy of his ensemble were sporty sneakers colored jet-black with a sleek stealth design and LED lights that he customized to glow red. He slung his single-strap backpack over his shoulder and walked out of his room.

"You looking for attention?" asked Weaver as he walked his brother to the parking garage.

"I don't question what you wear, don't question what I wear."

Weaver gave a hearty chuckle. "You look out of this world with those sneakers, man."

Eren adjusted his beanie and looked at his brother with a leer. "Don't judge. My shoes are worth more than your wardrobe."

"Ouch. I see that a change of address hasn't changed that fiery attitude of yours. You poor guy. What must it be like to know you can't be spoiled with all that stuff anymore?"

That shut Eren up. He glared up at his brother and walked ahead of him.

"Hey, buddy, sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. You're an influencer, right?"

"I tried to be," Eren replied. "Everything was kicking off just right before dad died. Now...I just don't feel like it. I was living in a big house, bro! Now...well, no disrespect to you and your girl, obviously, but this is a dramatic change of scenery."

"Yeah, I can see your point. Well if you ever get back into doing your internet personality thing, you should use these." Weaver stopped. He opened his messenger bag and fished around for a deck of cards he left in there for Eren. "Ah, here they are," he said. He handed him a wooden deck box with a gold plaque that had the gear symbol of the Fire Civilization.

"Duel Masters? Hey, I've been meaning to play this for a while."

"Why didn't you? It's the hottest card game in the world right now, bud."

"I dunno. I was more into getting to know girls and stuff, you know?"

"Oh, so you thought you were too cool to play card games like the rest of us plebs, huh?"

"I didn't say that."

"Just kidding, bud. But yeah, it's especially popular around here. Everyone in this city is obsessed with it!"

"I can see that," said Eren. He noticed a few holographic billboards along the walls of the parking garage showing highlights of intense matches that took place in the main stadium of the city. He saw monsters of all shapes and sizes flying around and battling against one another in vicious sword fights. "So...this is what's happening around here, huh?"

"Yeah. And if you're looking to live the life of wine, women, and song again, you should definitely try your hand at it. The local tournaments held around here give out HUGE cash prizes. And if you're looking to make even more dough and make a name for yourself, you could always enlist yourself into the ranking system. The higher your rank, the better your rewards will be. Hey, the ladies love a champ." He nudged his little brother on the elbow.

"So did you get this deck of cards just for me?" Eren asked. He opened the case and looked inside. The cards were protected in black matte sleeves and the cards were of beautiful quality, some of the best artistry he had ever seen. And they were all snug alongside the red velvet walls of the case as well. Eren pulled out the front card.

"What's this guy?" he asked. "Bolshack Dragon, huh?"

"Yeah. I did a little collecting myself," Weaver replied. "I've got to say, I've built a pretty good deck. Sadly, the office has kept me pretty busy, so I don't play anymore. Since you're here, I figured you should have them. Bolshack Dragon especially. That card won me lots of games back in the day."

"Thanks, bro," Eren said.

He got into his brother's car once they finally reached it on the third floor of the parking garage. As soon as Weaver got on the road, the storm had arrived and started showering the city with its tropical downpour.

"Wow!" Eren said, looking out the window. "This Ryoya City is massive."

"Damn right," said Weaver. "The whole country is one huge city. One of the greatest marvels of the world lemme tell you. I'm lucky to have found a cheap place to live around here."

"So where am I going to school?" Eren asked.

"Oh, it's a really nice place!" said Weaver. "St. Alexander Senior High School. It's one of the nicest schools in this part of the city. Ludmilla spared no expense to get you into that school."

"She did? Wow, you're girlfriend's pretty cool, bro."

"Think nothing of it, bud. She's sad to hear about what happened to mom and dad. She wants to help you out as best she can. Oh, by the way, she made you lunch. I'll hand it to you when we get to the school."

"So...any cute girls go to that school?"

Weaver laughed rubbed his palm over Eren's head. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of girls who will tickle your fancy, Playboy. Duel Masters is like the key that unlocks all hearts around here. Get good at the game, and you'll probably attract someone. How do you think I met Ludmilla."

"You two met at a company lunch, dude."

"Okay, and we played the game a bit."

"She beat you over and over again."

"How do you know this?"

"She talked to me a bit last night before she left for her shift."

Geeze, you catch on fast. Ah, here we are." He dropped his little brother off at school. "I left a few dollars in your lunch bag so you can take the bus home, bro. I can't pick you up after school this week. I've got my hands tied."

"I understand," said Eren. "Later, bro."

He closed the door. Weaver waved and then drove off. Eren took a deep breath and walked up the white steps into the pine forest that ringed around the school as if to give it seclusion from the rest of the city. Sure enough, he wasn't disappointed with the female classmates he was going to be attending class with. There was a lot of beauty here in St. Alexander, and it made Eren feel like a little boy finding a pile of presents under the tree on Christmas.

"Nice," he said. He approached a group of girls talking by the bench and introduced himself. They were apprehensive with his presence at first, but they found him quite charming. The boy had a bright character and a silver tongue. Soon, they exchanged numbers. To Eren, collecting the numbers of cute girls was much better than collecting cards. There was a much greater deal of satisfaction in that. He waved goodbye to his new friends and approached more girls, some loved him, others would have preferred he stay away. His spirit was like a piece of iron. Rejection didn't hurt him one bit. He was like a hungry jackal on the prowl, pouncing on girls when they least expected him.

The bell rang, signaling that it was almost time for class to begin. Eren flirted with one more girl. He got rejected, but shrugged it off and sped to class. Maybe he'd have better luck in there.

* * *

"Hang out? Tonight?" Felicity asked. She was sitting at her desk in her first-period class. Rebecca was sitting on top of Felicity's desk, holding herself up with her arms.

"Yes," said Rebecca. "Just you, me, Phoenix, Mio, Rei, and Kaitlyn. Oh, I can't wait for you to meet Mio. She's such a sweetie."

Felicity shook her head. "Rei and Kaitlyn? I don't know, Rebecca. They're with...with him."

"Not all the times," said Rebecca. "They know how to handle Adam. He's just some rich kid playing gangster in his dad's luxury business. He's a poser in every sense of the word, don't you worry. We're going to be just fine. We have so many things planned tonight. And most of all, we'd love to help you overcome your fear of dueling. You want to be good, don't you? Play like Rei and Kaitlyn?"

"Oh, yes, more than anything! Especially if it means we can play with those holograms. If I can play with those, I'd love to rank up and be a professional."

"You don't have to be a pro to play with holograms, dear," said Rebecca. "We just need to boost your rank up to Advanced and then the local pavilions will allow you access to their holographic arenas."

"Wow, that sounds amazing. How long will that take me?"

"Uh...I'm not gonna lie, Felicity. It's going to take a while. Maybe a week if you play constantly."

Felicity shrunk in her seat. "I...I don't know. There are going to be losses, aren't there?"

Rebecca shrugged her shoulders in response. "You can't expect to be winning all the time, can you? Shobu Karifuda even has his losses. Don't be afraid to lose, Felicity. It happens to all of us. The best thing you can do is pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes, and try again."

"Well...I'll give it my best shot. If it also means I won't have to sign up with that Adam Striker guy, I'll be pleased."

"That-a-girl!" said Rebecca. "You're going to enjoy what we've got planned for you. Just wait and see."

Eren suddenly stepped into the classroom from the hall. A girl with long green hair passed him. "Hey, baby, wanna meet tonight? It's Friday."

"I've got a boyfriend, loser," the girl said walking by and without even looking at him.

"All right, I'll take that as a maybe," he said. He stopped and gawked at Felicity and Rebecca. Felicity's red hair was like a ruby when the rays of the sun shined down on her. And the baby blue ribbon in her hair just made her look so damn cute. He rushed towards them, sat down on the desk opposite Felicity's, and introduced himself. "Morning, ladies. Name's Eren Keegan. Just moved in from Cobalt City. Nice to meet you both."

"Um, same..." Rebecca said awkwardly.

"So, you two girls got any plans for tonight? I'm new around here. Maybe you could show me around the city and find the best spots to duel."

"We have plans actually, sorry," said Rebecca.

"Ouch, perhaps those plans can include me. What do you say?"

"No thanks," said Rebecca. "I'm sure there're other people around here who would love to show you around. We can't help you."

"Ouch, girls, that hurts. What about you? Darling with the red hair. I can join in on your plans, right?"

"Oh, I don't think you'd like to join us, Mr. Keegan. It's just an outing for girls."

Eren placed his hand over his chest, enjoying Felicity's sweetness and etiquette a little too much. "Oof, Mr. Keegan, she says. She's so formal and gallant. And so pretty. Loving your ribbon by the way. It's really, really, cute."

"Do you like it? My mother gave it to me, thank you."

Eren snapped his fingers. "And damn, girl, your hair. It looks like you've got a lion's mane or something. So, you have a girls' night out planned, huh? I understand. I dig it. You don't need us guys hanging around you and spoiling your evening. Hopefully, in the future, we can do a little hanging out."

"I don't see that happening," said Rebecca.

"Don't be rude, Rebecca," said Felicity. "After all, he is trying to make friends."

Rebecca pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, Felicity, You're so polite yet so naive."

Eren wagged his finger at Felicity. "You know, you are just too pretty and just too polite, I think we should hook up sometime."

"She's not interested," Rebecca snapped at once. "Back off, dude."

"That's up to her to decide. Say, do you know how to play that game everyone in this town is obsessed about?"

"Of course, I do."

"We should have a match during lunch, what do you say? If you win, I give you a sweet card from my deck. But if I win...heh, heh, how about one date?"

"A date?" Felicity gasped.

"Now, hold on just a minute!" said Rebecca. "Don't you think you're getting a little too ahead of yourself? You barely even know her."

"Well, I did hear someone say that the best way to get to know someone is to duel. Right? What do you say, girl?"

Rebecca stood up and placed her knuckles on her hips. "Her name's Felicity. And she's not interested. And you better back off now before I get my friends to make you, got it?"

"Easy, girl, easy. It takes some time to get used to someone you don't know, I get it. And I respect that. I ain't lying. I really want to get to know her."

"It's not going to happen. Please sit somewhere we can't see you."

Eren shrugged it off and walked to a desk at the back of the class. The teacher came in and told his class to settle down. "I have a few important announcements to make," he said. "There are going to be some renovations going on in the gymnasium. So the Halloween Dance is going to take place in the Diamond Hall ballroom in North Point."

The students ooohed and ahhed at the news. That was certainly an improvement over the gymnasium.

The teacher held up both hands and bobbed them up and down to silence them. "Yes, yes, I'm sure you're all very excited. Tickets are already on sale, so if you haven't gotten them yet, please, do so. Because they're running out like hotcakes. Also, we have two new students joining us today. First off let me introduce you all to Eren Keegan. Uh, I didn't see him out there..."

"Here I am," said Eren. "Don't mind me. I don't like giving too many speeches. Although I will say I like your town. Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone."

"Of course," said the teacher. "Welcome to the class, Eren. Next, I'd like to introduce miss Angel Restoncourt."

A girl walked into the room. The boys muttered and Eren gasped loudly. Her hair was bright yellow and went down to her ankles, and there was something in it that made it glitter like a fleece of gold. Two curled bangs swirled on both sides of her heart-shaped face and two baby-blue eyes radiated with joy. Her lips were glossy and red and she smelled like a bouquet of roses. She wore a white summer dress and carried her things in a messenger bag. A bracelet of silver and gold with diamonds hanging from it jingled as she moved.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to the class, Angel?" the teacher asked.

Angel giggled and bowed politely. "Hello, everyone," she said. Her voice was sweet like honey and sounded almost like a whisper. "It's so nice to meet you. I come from a petty kingdom called Alagashia. Perhaps some of you might have heard of it."

"Alagashia!" said Felicity. "Isn't your country in the middle of a civil war?"

Angel's smile faded. "I uh...yes. We are. In fact, that's why I'm here. Two great houses have started to squabble for the crown. The House of Bourbon and the House of Courbet. We've all sadly suffered from their disagreements. I used to live in a quaint little mountain town. My mother was the baroness and my father was an accountant for the royal bank. My town was burned to the ground after mercenaries from the House of Courbet attacked us and burned the city to the ground. They started massacring everyone who was discovered to have ties with the Royal House of Bourbon. Sadly, my parents were two of them."

"How did you escape?" a girl asked. "I've seen the images on the news. It's so dreadful."

"It's not even half of the things I've seen," said Angel. "I just escaped being sold into slavery had it not been..."

The students gasped.

"What happened?"

"How did you get away?"

"Aww, that poor girl."

Angel continued her story. "After my parents were killed, us girls were rounded up into trucks. While the boys were sent to the mercenary training camps to become killers. I was surrounded by so many girls, all of them kidnapped from their villages in the mountains. It was the most horrifying experience of my life. We were then taken to a camp in what used to be a cozy town for the students who attended the university. That turned into their military command center and at the cellars were these stables where they kept me and the other girls. There I stayed for two weeks at the mercy of the mercenaries. One by one, I saw girls, many of whom were my friends, just sold off like candy to be slaves. Thankfully, my aunt arrived in the town to attend a conference. By some miracle, she noticed me down there. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even be here right now."

"Your aunt was attending a conference?" asked Rebecca. "What does she do?"

"She works for the embassy. She's an avid supporter of the Bourbons."

"And the other House just let her in their turf?" a boy asked. "Isn't she scared they'll kill her or something?"

"Oh, she's not afraid," Angel responded. "She knows what to do when she enters enemy territory. And she can strike deals that nobody, not even her enemies can refuse. She's a very tough woman."

"As are you," Felicity said in awe. "Weren't you terrified?"

"I was paralyzed with fear," Angel responded. "I was so scared I was throwing up. But I was able to cope. I would just lay in my cage and close my eyes. I always thought of a beautiful flower and I felt better."

"Awww," went the class.

The teacher was quiet. "Well, you must be very thankful to have such a strong and powerful woman like your aunt, Angel," he said. "Is she whom you're currently living with right now?"

"No. She sent me to live with her sisters while she tries to settle the conflict with a more diplomatic approach. Sadly, the House of Courbet is winning the war and I don't see myself returning home."

"Well, Angel," the teacher said. "Look around you, honey. These are your future friends and classmates. You're with them. You're safe now. I hope you'll find comfort in your new home and with your new companions. We're all sorry for the loss of your family and your friends. I pray that the girls you left behind in that camp will one day live safe and sound, too."

"Thank you, sir," Angel said with another bow.

"Let's hear it for Angel Restoncourt, everyone!" the teacher declared and the class responded with applause and cheers in seconds. "Let's make her feel welcome."

* * *

The final bell rang and the students, again, stampeded out of their classes, this time with much more excitement. The weekend had finally come. As Angel stood on the sidewalk waiting for her ride, a mob of admirers came to her and showered her with gifts. Starter decks, booster packs, booster boxes, boxes of chocolates, and bouquets of flowers, more than she could carry. When her hands became full, she held the gifts in her arms. When her arms could take no more, her adorers set them at her ankles.

"Well, she's having no trouble making friends," said Rebecca.

"Yeah, makes me wish I was wooed by a bunch of drooling losers," Felicity said sarcastically. "Poor girl."

As soon as she said that, a white limousine drove up to the school. The driver got out and then walked to the back door. He held it open for Angel to get in. That just made everyone love her more. At once they pushed and shoved to help her get her stuff in the seats. Some tried to help her in, but the driver shooed them away and closed the door once Angel got inside. They all crowded around her window and waved goodbye until the limo drove off to the highway.

"Wow!" said Felicity. "Beautiful, brave, a total sweetheart, and she's rich!"

"Makes me wonder why she didn't go to that fancy-pants Kaijudo Academy like Phoenix and Kaitlyn did," said Rebecca. "Hey, I need to use the bathroom. Do you mind waiting outside the restaurant while I go do my business and freshen up? Mio's going to meet us there in a bit."

"All right. Let's get over there before you burst, Rebecca."

They walked into the forest and followed the path to the restaurant, already crowded with students waiting for their friends or standing in line to get a bite to eat. "Oh, man!" Rebecca squealed. She couldn't hold it any longer and ran inside. And so Felicity waited under one of the seats outside. A red umbrella with the restaurant's logo (Stewert's Burger Barn) shielded her from the hot sun. Still, the heat was getting intense and the hot bench made of metal burned her butt, causing her to jump up and use her backpack as a cushion.

She heard someone stopping behind her. He shouted: "Hey! You!" Felicity turned around and saw Geoff's little brother, Tommy. He wasn't alone. Two big guys stood on either side of him like hired-muscle, making for a rather laughable sight. Felicity would have snickered at them but something told her these boys were serious.

"Can I help you?" Felicity asked.

"Yeah, you can hand over my brother's Bolzard Dragon."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb!" said one of the bigger kids. "We know you sent Marcus after Tommy's big brother. We know you got him to take Bolzard away from him."

"I didn't send anyone to go after him!" said Felicity. "I didn't even know Marcus."

"Yeah, right!" said Tommy. "If you didn't know Marcus, then how did he invite you to Adam Striker's party the other night? You two have to be very well connected to get invited to one of those. Enough talk. Hand over the Bolzard Dragon now and my boys won't hurt you."

"Hurt me!"

"We're going to knock you into a vegetative state, just like Marcus did to Geoff!"

"There is no need for this!" said Felicity. "Help!"

She looked around. How? Where did all the students go? Some had left. Most were crowded inside watching a big match taking place. Trey was up against a player from the Nature Clan named Earl.

"There's no one here," Tommy sneered. "Hand over the card now. It belongs to my brother."

Just as Felicity felt cornered and ready to take the dragon out of her deck, Eren came towards them on a skateboard he bought from the shop nearby. "What's going on here?" he said. "You giving this girl trouble?"

"This is none of your business, new kid!" said Tommy. "Get out of here or my boys will beat you up, too."

"Your boys?" Eren reared his head up and pointed at the two older guys. "What the hell? You are you supposed to be? What's the deal here? Are you so low on funds that you'd take orders from a kid?"

"Hey!" said the other boy. "Geoff was our friend. This girl hired some mercenary the other day to duel him for the Bolzard Dragon. And then he beat him into a coma! We're getting our revenge and it won't be pretty."

"No, it won't be," said Eren. "Especially when the cops get involved. I took your picture before coming down here." He held his phone up. "You harm her, I'm reporting you two."

The boys backed away in fright upon hearing that. "Oh, shoot!"

"Yeah, he's right. We're going to be in serious trouble if we go along with this."

"What!" shouted Tommy. "No! I paid you guys everything I had in my piggy bank! I want her taken down now! And I want my brother's Bolzard Dragon back!"

"We can't always get what we want, kid," said Eren. "But since everyone here settles things with Duel Masters, why don't we have ourselves a tag team match. Your two brutes against me and the girl. You guys win, not only can you keep her Bolzard Dragon, but I'll also put a card up on the line. This one."

Eren opened his deck case. He searched for the card he was willing to put up and held it so they could see.

"Ooooo!" they all said.

It was a card called MaltNEX, Super Battle Dragon Edge. The card was in DueKing Rare, making it look like it was made of solid gold.

"You're on!" said Tommy. "Come on, guys! I know a place where we can duel and take their cards. Follow me."

* * *

The limo drove down almost a football field's-length of driveway to a mansion on a cliff overlooking the city. It was in a very high-class neighborhood where only the top one percent of Ryoya City lived. The driver opened the door to let Angel out and helped her with the gifts from all the students captivated by her. Once the doors opened, her two aunts were waiting for her in the foyer. And they were not very happy. Sitting on the edge of a fountain were their two fat sons, Malcolm and Gordon. They were munching on chocolate sundaes and jeered at the fact that Angel was in trouble.

"What is all this!?" snapped Aunt Faith, a tall and lean woman with a pointed nose and gray hair tied into a bun. She wore a wide, white sunhat even though she was indoors.

Angel grew timid. "Oh, these...these are gifts that the students from school gave me. They welcomed me into the city and..."

"And you couldn't find within yourself to reject them!" said Aunt Faye, a woman who was also tall but very stout. Her cheeks were puffy and coated with powder. A mole stood on the left one and her black hair was tied into a bun as well. She grabbed a handful of Angel's hair and pulled it. "Look at her, Faith. Always thirsting for attention. Just like her father. Foolish man! Foolish man, always wanting to be in the spotlight. That's what got him killed!"

"And your mother!" added Aunt Faith.

"Trouble already?" said another woman from the top of an imperial staircase.

"Aunt Lydia!" gasped Angel. "You're here?"

The woman walked down the steps one by one, eyes glued to Angel. Angel could see disappointment and fury burning in her cold brown eyes. "What is this, Angel?"

"Gifts?"

"You no doubt opened that big mouth of yours and told everyone that I saved you from certain death, did you not?"

Angel bit on both her lips. She could not lie to her Aunt Lydia. She dealt with corrupted politicians all her life and knew a thing or two about spotting a liar in her midst. If she lied to her aunt, the consequences were going to be dire. There was no point in lying anyway. Aunt Lydia could read Angel like a book.

"Why am I not surprised? It's only the first day and already you've made a mockery of yourself. You know, I could have kept you locked up in that pen."

"You don't mean that!" Angel pleaded.

"But you're family and the press was there. If they saw me leave you to those rogues, it would have ended badly for me. I could have saved countless political prisoners with the money they asked me to buy you with. Those men and women could have saved our kingdom. But I instead chose to save you. No. I was FORCED to save you. So many representatives who fell for your sugary charms were there and just begged me to spare you. So I did. And this is how you choose to repay me? By making yourself look like some poor unfortunate soul and using your sugary charm to coax dumb little boys to follow you and adore you? Angel, I a most disappointed in you! What was the first thing I told you to do?"

"Never make friends."

"And?"

"Never talk to anyone."

"And?"

"Never speak of our struggles in the kingdom."

Aunt Lydia raised a nostril and huffed. "What's this?" She took one of the starter decks from Angel's hand. "Duel Masters?" She turned and looked at her sisters. "Of all the cities for you to live in, it had to be the one that's most obsessed with that stupid game!" She clapped her hands. "Jenkins!"

"Yes, Ms. Belacroux," said a dreary-looking butler with messy hair that looked like spiderwebs.

"Take those things from Angel and throw them out at once."

"Yes, Ms. Belacroux. Come along, you. Give those over to me at once."

Angel reluctantly handed the butler her gifts and watched sadly as he took them to the garage to be disposed of.

"We're going on important business tonight," said Aunt Lydia. "After you've had your bath and finished your homework, I want you to watch the boys for the evening. And I want you to make sure the mansion is spick and span. If I so much as see one portrait out of position, I will tan your bottom so badly, you won't sit for a week." Malcolm and Gordon cheered and high-fived. "Am I clear?" Aunt Lydia said.

"Y-y-yes, Aunt Lydia." Angel bowed her head apologetically and hurried upstairs.

* * *

Tommy led his friends and both Eren and Felicity to a grotto deep in the park that had just been built. It was very crisp and cool in there. The stone stairs were lit with round lamps built into the steps. Once they were completely underground, they found a table built just for Duel Masters games built right on the center of a round island surrounded by a pool of water lit by lamps at the bottom and waterfalls fell down from all sides.

"Isn't it neat?" said Tommy. "It hasn't even been opened to the public yet. Only I know about it."

"Won't we get in trouble?" Felicity asked.

"Don't worry about a thing," said Eren. "If we work together, we can get out of here fast. And no one will be the wiser."

"Awesome," said one of Tommy's hired duelists. His name was Greg and the other was Zak. Both got on their side of the table and were surprised to see that it was built for two-on-two matches as well. Felicity and Eren took off their backpacks and took out their decks. They got into position and called: "Shields up!"

Felicity gasped when transparent blue rectangle-shaped shields formed in front of her.

"Look!" she cried. "They actually came out."

"Did they actually build a holographic table arena for the students here?" Eren asked.

"Watch and find out," said Zak. "I set one water mana and tap it to summon Zepimeteus!"

From the pool rose out the submarine-like creature. It let out an eerie shriek that sent Felicity almost reeling backward. "It's real!"

"No, it's not!" laughed Tommy. "It's just a hologram. Hurry up and start your turn, Greg."

"Right, boss. I tap one mana and summon Raging Bamboo!" A plant monster appeared behind him and let out an annoying call that echoed across the grotto.

"It's your turn, girl!" said Tommy.

"My name's Felicity! I set one mana and summon Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!"

"I set one water mana and end my turn," said Eren.

Greg laughed and looked over his shoulder at Tommy, who was sitting on a red leather couch behind their side of the table. "Hey, boss. Look at what they pulled out. One lizard girl and noting."

"Don't underestimate them, idiot. It always starts off with the small monsters first. Now duel!"

"Right," said Zak. "My turn. I tap two mana and summon Madrillion Fish!"

"My turn!" said Greg. "I tap two mana and summon my own Madrillion Fish."

"Shit! They got two Blockers!" said Felicity.

"And I get one of your shields," sneered Greg. Raging Bamboo will strike your shield, Felicity!"

The monster summoned vines that shout out of its hands. The vines turned sharp and struck the shield. The pieces scattered everywhere, making Felicity think they were real. She held her arms over her face as if protecting it from actual danger. In the midst of her theatrics, she forgot to add the shield to her hand. She quickly picked it up and did so.

"I hope you've got a plan, Eren," she said nervously.

Eren chuckled. "Uh, well, you see...I don't."

"You what!?"

"I've never played this game before. It's my first match. I was kind of hoping to follow in your coattails and see if I can learn from there."

"But I don't know anything about this game either! I lost my first match and never played again until now."

"Oof, then consider your Bolzard Dragon gone, babe."

"But...Hey, wait a minute. Are you listening to music?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, forget it. They're not taking my Bolzard without a fight. I draw. Phew, just what I needed. I tap two mana and activate Crimson Hammer. Now, Zak, I destroy your Zeptimeteus."

"Aw, man!" Zak groaned, putting his card into the graveyard.

"Now I attack with Deadly Fighter Braid Claw. Sorry, girl. But your effect tells me I have to." She felt sympathy for the hologram. She supposed that was the downside of having a creature looming over your shoulder. You start to develop feelings for it. The female Braid Claw just nodded at her, assuring Felicity that everything was going to be okay. She flashed her claws and screeched as she rushed toward their field.

"I'll let you take that shield," said Zak with a confident look on his face. The Braid Claw smashed his first shield and he added the card to his hand.

"What are you doing?" Tommy shouted. "You let her take a shield?"

"It's all part of the plan, boss."

"Argh, it better be a good plan."

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief and while no one was looking, adjusted the back of her sweatpants. The sweat from her anxiety was making them dig deep into the crack of her butt. "So, uh, Eren," she said, relieved they didn't see what she was doing. "I hope you know what your cards do at least."

"Don't worry. I think I get the gist of how things work. It's not as complicated as some card games are back where I'm from. And besides, I learned a lot about mana by watching a few of the kids at lunch. I think I know what to do. Okay, I set this card as mana and summon Johnny Walker Exploding Mask. Then I destroy him so I can add the top card of my deck to the mana zone. Your turn."

"My turn!" Zak announced proudly.

"I just said that," said Eren.

Zak didn't listen and continued his turn. "I tap two mana and summon Garabon the Glider!" The card started glowing green. Then a big, blue ghost carrying a wooden staff topped with an ice crystal appeared behind him. "Ooooooo!" he howled.

"Now it's on to me," said Greg. "I summon Bronze-Arm Tribe!" He summoned a little dog-like creature carrying a spear. It thumped its chest and grunted ritualistically as if chanting that it was ready for battle. "And now that's he's been summoned, I can add the top card of my deck to my mana zone. Now, Raging Bamboo will attack Felicity again!"

"Ack!" Felicity cried when her second shield was destroyed. She held it up when she realized it was a Shield Trigger. "You activated Phantom Dragon's Flame. Now I get to destroy one of your monsters with 2000 or less. I choose your Bronze-Arm Tribe!"

The card summoned flames, animated to resemble a serpentine dragon. It soared toward the forest creature and devoured it.

"Now I tap two mana and summon Emerald Grass."

"Awesome! A Blocker of your own!" said Eren. "Hopefull that'll keep those guys off your pretty ass for a while."

"My pretty what? You know what, never mind. I attack with Deadly Fighter Braid Claw."

"And I'll block with Madrillion Fish," said Zak.

Felicity sighed and watched helplessly as her creature was destroyed by the Blocker who was 2000 points stronger.

She looked at Eren with disgust. "Go, pervert, it's your turn."

Eren shrugged. "Just complimenting is all. You've got a nice butt."

"I don't need you commenting!" Felicity snapped. "I know about the form of my body, thank you!"

"Sure, sure. Now, I tap four and summon another Johnny. I'll destroy him and add a card to my mana zone."

"This isn't even a challenge!" said Zak. "You think because you've got one Blocker out that you're safe? Ha! Time to go on the offensive. I summon Feather-Horn the Tracker!"

The holograms let out a deep humming sound as the monster was brought out, at last, rendering into a giant, four-legged beast with two very long horns and a body covered with colorful feathers.

"My turn!" said Greg. "I tap five and summon Draglide!" He summoned a blue-lizardman with a spear, riding on the back of a big, red, wyvern with jet engines on its wings. "I'd attack you with my Raging Bamboo, but you'll just block it. So that leaves you, doesn't it, hotshot? Raging Bamboo, attack his shield!"

The monster stretched out its vines and shattered Eren's first shield with ease. It laughed, ready to take out another shield in the game.

"Nice move," said Eren.

"I'll get him!" said Felicity. "I tap four and summon Super Explosive Volcanadon!" Her hand started glowing with a flaming red aura. "What's this?"

"You tell me," said Eren. "That's wicked cool."

All of a sudden the giant yellow-scaled dragon loomed behind Felicity. It opened its mouth and roared at her two opponents, challenging them to take her on with him on the field. He raised his shoulder-mounted gatling gun and hissed, ready for a battle.

Felicity smiled at the beast and then it fired its gatling gun around as a show of intimidation. "Your turn, Eren."

"Good. I finally have enough mana to use this card. Hyperspacial Faerie Hole. It comes with three effects, but I choose just one. I can add a Nature card that costs seven or less from my Hyperspacial Zone to the Battle Zone."

"Hyper what now?" said Felicity.

"I summon Ryusei Gaia the Earth!"

A blue dragon appeared from behind Eren and it roared loudly and triumphantly. He took a big step forward from the back of the grotto, his giant foot splashing the water behind them.

"All right," Eren said, hands in his pockets. "When my dragon arrives on the field, I can add a card from the top of my deck to my mana zone. I end my turn. Your Blockers don't look so tough."

"We'll deal with you later!" said Zak. "For now, we'll take down Felicity piece by piece."

"For Geoff!" said Greg.

"Yeah. He'll be avenged. But for now, I'll set one mana and I attack your shield with Feather Horn."

"I block with Emerald Grass," said Felicity.

"Damn, your turn, Greg."

Greg drew. "For Geoff!" he said again. "I tap five and summon Three-Eyed Dragonfly!"

Felicity heard a terrible hissing sound and then the irritating noise of insect wings. Out of the darkness emerged a long, winged, insect that seemed to stretch on forever. Like its name implied, it had a big eye on its forehead.

"Your blocker won't stop this!" he boasted. "On my next turn, it's toast!"

"Yeah," said Felicity, "but your Blockers aren't going to do a thing to stop me. I tap four and cast the spell, Bomber Charger. Now, I can destroy one of your monsters with 3000 power or less. Your Madrillion Fish is destroyed and since this spell is a Charger, I can add it to my mana zone. Take it away, Eren."

"You got it, sweetheart."

"My name's Felicity!"

"Right, right. I tap seven mana to summon MaltNEX, Super Battle Dragon Edge!"

"Oh no!" cried Zak. "That's the card we're supposed to win."

"Time to see if you two stack up!" said Tommy, watching two towers of blue and orange and neon green fire shoot out from behind Eren. The humanoid dragon burst out the flames and flexed his muscles.

"He's a Draguer creature," Eren explained. "Meaning he can call upon special weapons from my Hyperspacial Zone called Draghearts so long as the conditions are right. And they. I activate his ability of Mana Arms 5! When I have five or more fire cards in my mana pool, MaltNEX can summon a Dragheart that costs 4 or less. And I call upon, Gaiaheart Galaxy Sword."

A flash illuminated the darkness of the grotto and then a sword shot down like a shooting star. It landed in front of MaltNEX with a loud pang. He picked up the sword and held it up high.

"This special weapon will give MaltNEX the ability of speed attacker. So he gets no summoning sickness. Now for MaltNEX's special ability."

"You mean there's more!" Felicity said gleefully."

Eren closed his eyes and bobbed his head confidently. "Ha. I can't believe Weaver was right. The girls really love a guy who's good at this game. All right, MaltEX let's impress our lovely teammate some more with Dragon Mana Arms 5. If those cards also happen to be dragons, MaltEX can attack twice this turn. I'll strike Greg first."

"And I'll Block with Madrillion fish."

The aquatic creature screeched and soared in front of Greg. It started to soar around the field, luring MaltNEX away from his master. MaltNEX swung his blade around trying to bring down that annoying fish. For a moment, everyone thought the fish was going to be successful in this battle because of its speed. But MaltNEX was just too powerful, and he cut the fish down to shreds with his sword.

"Dragon Mana Arms 5 will force him to untap and I can strike your shields. Oh, and my guy's a Double Breaker, so say goodbye to two of your shields."

"No!" cried Greg. He braced himself, watching in shock as Eren's creature flew toward him. With one swipe of his sword, MaltNEX destroyed his two shields. Their pieces scattered everywhere. The hologram was so real that Greg ducked for cover, hoping to avoid being hit even though he wasn't in any danger.

"What's that?" babbled Zak.

Greg peered over the table. He saw MaltNEX's sword was glowing brightly.

"Now my Dragheart's ability activates," said Eren. "If one of my creatures makes a second attack, I can flip this card over. Now it turns from Dragheart Weapon into Dragheart Creature. I summon Gaiginga, Passionate Star Dragon!"

"AAAHHHH!" yelled the two boys.

Felicity found herself laughing wildly for a moment. Eren's beautiful, celestial dragon warrior loomed over his shoulder in such an impressive manner. "Oh, wow!" she clasped her hands together. "Oh, Eren! Is this really your first time dueling?"

"Believe it or not, sweetie. This is my first ever game. I can understand these cards pretty well. It's like...like I've been playing them forever. Oh, yes, in the midst of my excitement, I forgot to mention this guy has some pretty cool abilities. First, he'll destroy a monster on the field with 7000 or less. So let's say goodbye to Feather Horn. And secondly, he is a speed attacker AND a double breaker. Gaiginga, attack his other two shields!"

"NOOOOO!" screamed Greg. He was down to his last shield now. But one of them was Tornado Flame, which he used to destroy felicity's Super Explosive Volcanadon. He was safe for now, but both he and Zak knew they were in a lot of trouble.

"That's it!" shouted Zak. "No more playing around! I tap six and summon Valiant Warrior Exorius! And I attack Felicity with Three-Eyed Dragonfly. And that's all. I end my turn."

"Hey, wait a minute!" said Greg. "What about Blockers? I need help man!"

"Forget it, dude. You did this to yourself. You're on your own."

"Wait," said Felicity. "You mean we can use our own Blockers to defend teammates, too?"

"Yeah," said Eren. "A guy at lunch told me you could."

"I could have helped you."

"It's just one shield. And besides, you'd be putting yourself at a disadvantage protecting me all the time. Of course, I'm flattered you'd think about me though."

"Fine!" said Greg. "I'll just protect myself. I summon two Madrillion Fish and end my turn."

"How sad," Felicity jeered. "Looks like you guys are the ones cornered now. I tap six mana and summon Immortal Baron Vorg, Brawler Zyler, and Mini Titan Gett! Go, Eren."

"Nice little army of monsters you got there," Eren said. He admired the way all three of her creatures loomed behind her. "All right then, I won't bother dealing with you, Greg. Since your little fishies are in the way. Zak, it's time you took a beating."

"Wait!"

"First, I'll attack with MaltNEX. Double break his shields."

"Greg! Help!" shouted Zak.

"Screw you, man!"

SLASH! SLASH! MaltNEX destroyed Zak's shields. But he held up a card. "Burst Shot!" he declared. "Now all monsters with Power 2000 or less are destroyed."

Felicity turned around. She gasped at the sight of her three monsters getting blasted to smithereens by a pair of giant gatling guns that loomed from the ceiling of the grotto.

"It won't do you any good," said Eren. "You've got no more shields. MaltNEX's Dragon Mana Arms effect activates, so I can make a second attack in a row. MaltnEX attack him now! Todome Da!" His dragon flew over him and Felicity then he jumped up high and slashed Zak across his body, sending him flying off his place at the table.

"ZAK! NO!" cried Greg. "What have I done?"

"You idiot!" shouted Tommy. "You could have helped him!"

"Zak! Zak! Come on, man. I can't do this alone! Oh, shoot. I summon King Coral and end my turn."

"My turn," said Felicity. "I think it's high time you saw a dear friend of mine. I call upon Bolzard Dragon!"

Tommy stood up from his seat. He ground his teeth upon seeing the big double-bladed dragon looming over Felicity in all its fury.

"Cool," said Eren. "I have something similar to your dragon. I tap six to summon Bolshack Dragon."

"Bolshack and Bolzard!?" cried Zak. He sat up to admire the sight. "No way!" He was in shock to see both their dragon standing side by side with one another. Both of them seemed pretty pleased to be in the battle zone together.

"I've got to deal with all of them?" shouted Greg.

"That you do," said Eren. "I'm going to plow the road for you, Felicity. First, MaltNEX will attack him twice."

"I block his attacks with both my Madrillion Fish!" cried Greg.

"Heh, perfect. I'd love to take out your last two shields, but I think Felicity deserves the honors of finishing you off."

"Greg drew and smiled. "Ha! No, she can't! Thankfully, I've got Light Civs in here too. And I've got just enough mana to summon this guy! Dueangel, Nine Extremes. He's a strong blocker with 13500 Power."

"You have no choice in the matter," said Felicity. "Thanks to your pal, Zak, I have six creatures in my graveyard. That means I can summon this without cost. I summon Crossfire Millionaire!"

She set the card down and the flames over her hand were outlined with gold and sparkling embers flew all around her. They flew out of her hand and formed in a towering dragon-like beast shielded in dark-red armor outlined with gold in every part of his body.

"He's a speed attacker," said Felicity. "So I can attack you this turn."

"So what? My blocker will clobber your ugly beast."

"Yeah, no he's not. Wanna know why he's known as Crossfire Millionaire?"

"Why?"

"Because when he attacks he gains +1000000."

"A MILLION!" shouted Zak. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Someone help!" cried Greg. "I wasn't prepared for this!"

Crossfire Millionaire laughed at the boy's shock and amazement. Then he charged fireballs from his hands and launched them at the boy's Blocker, annihilating him without effort.

"Let's finish him together with a Bolzard/Bolshack Double Team Attack!" said Eren.

Felicity held up her thumb and nodded. "Right! Bolzard Dragon! Destroy his last two shields!"

Bolzard Dragon roared in response. The curved blades on his arms were coated in fire and he flew towards the boy's shields, slashing them to pieces with ease.

"Bolshack Dragon!" said Eren. "Finish him!"

Bolshack Dragon spread his wings and then hovered above both players. He gave a mighty roar then turned to look at Bolzard who roared back. The two dragons suddenly flew together towards Greg.

They launched giant fireballs from their mouths then shot them at Greg, creating a massive explosion that shook the foundation of the grotto.

"MOMMY!" Greg shouted as he ran out of the grotto.

"WAIT FOR ME!" cried Zak.

"COME BACK HERE!" roared Tommy. "Eeesh!" He froze in fear looking up at Bolshack and Bolzard, standing together over him like they were ready to eat him. "This isn't over!" he said. "You just wait!"

"Yeah, sure," said Felicity. "Try to hire goons who didn't spend money on those useless starter decks, and maybe we'll start taking you seriously."

"Oh! Burned!" Eren said. He and Felicity laughed as Tommy got away. They both collected their cards and left the grotto where they ran into Rebecca, Luc, and Flynn at the entrance.

"Oh, guys?" said Felicity.

"Are you okay?" Rebecca said. "There was a big explosion that shook the park."

Eren laughed nervously. "Uh, well, that was us. Seems like Felicity was having some trouble with a kid named Tommy."

"Tommy, huh?" said Luc. "Looks like he wants payback for what happened to his brother."

"But he's after the wrong person," said Rebecca. "Did they hurt you, Felicity?"

"Not at all," Felicity said. "Eren helped me. We were in a tag team match down there and we beat his hired goons senseless."

"Whoa, badass," said Luc.

"This guy? Really?" said Rebecca. She looked at Eren with distrust creasing her face. "Well...I guess I should say thanks."

"Think nothing of it," said Eren. "See? I'm not such a bad guy."

"No, you're not," said Felicity. "Sorry for judging you earlier, but you did come in pretty strong."

"Meh, it's who I am. And what kind of person would I be if I let the girl of my dreams get hurt."

"The girl of your dreams?" said Flynn.

Felicity took a step back as the cicadas starting hissing loudly in the trees. "Whoa, hold on."

Eren advanced on her and looked her right in the eyes with a smile. "Come on, babe, just one date. It's the least you could do to thank me for rescuing you."

"This guy is not to be believed," groaned Rebecca.

"I can't make any promises," said Felicity.

Eren chucked and leaned back. "Haha, that's all right. How about that duel, then? If I win, you and I go out on a date. If you lose, you'll never hear from me again. Cross my heart."

"If those are stakes, so be it," said Felicity. "I'll duel you Monday. After school."

"Why not tonight?"

"My friends and I have plans for tonight."

"Girls only," Rebecca added.

Eren snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. Well, say no more. I'm just happy you accepted the challenge, Felicity. Destiny will decide whether or not we were meant for each other. Maybe it was already meant to be. Just take a look at your Bolzard Dragon. What does the flavor text say?"

Felicity looked at the card and read: "When Bolshack awakes in the east, Bolzard roars in the west."

"That's right," said Eren. "Our cards are like brothers. And what are the odds we have each of them?"

"The odds are not that bad," said Luc. "I have like three copies of that guy in my binder. And Rebecca got two during the summer."

"And I have one for my fire/darkness deck," said Flynn.

"Details, details," said Eren. "You'll see, Felicity. We were meant to be."

"I guess we'll see during our match Just don't invite me to your pity party when you lose."

"Oh yeah!" Eren said, biting his bottom lip and raising his eyebrows. "I like 'em fiery. Well, Felicity, I hope you and your girls have a good night. See you after school on Monday for our big duel. It's going to be hot, hot, hot! So I hope you've got short shorts or something."

"I'll bet you do," said Felicity. She crossed her arms over her chest. "No doubt a poor excuse to look at my butt."

"Girl you read me like card. See you, babe." He smacked her butt and walked off.

"Oh!" said Felicity.

"Did he just!" Rebecca stammered.

"Oh, that son of a bitch!" said Luc. "Ey! Hands to yourself!"

"Later, dudes!" Eren said.

Felicity smirked and rubbed the spot where he struck her. "So, that's how you wanna play, eh? All right, Eren Keegan. It's on. And when we duel, you're going down." She looked at Rebecca. "Uh, are we going to duel tonight, Rebecca?"

"Yeah, but the whole purpose of this outing was to teach you to play and face your fears. Looks to me like you're starting to do that."

"Oh no, there's still so much I want to learn. So much I HAVE to learn. I'm going to need the help of all of you to do it. I hope that tonight isn't the only help I'll get."

"No, of course, not," said Rebecca. "You've got us."

"All you have to do is ask," said Flynn.

"Good," said Felicity. "Because there are cards in his deck that are really strong. And he used them like a pro even though this was his first match. I'm starting to regret accepting his challenge."

"Don't worry, Felicity," Rebecca said, placing her hands on Felicity's shoulders. "After tonight, you'll get you so ready, you're going to tear that guy apart."

"I look forward to that," said Felicity. "Well, shall we?"

Rebecca nodded. "Oh yes, the night's calling, baby. Let's go." 


	6. A Night to Remember

* * *

Rain poured down Ryoya that night. But it did very little to dampen the spirits of the young ones who were dashing around from place to place to hang out, have a drink, duel; pretty much enjoy the weekend. But there was one who was not fond of parties, clubs, bars, card parlors, or things of that sort. David Kaiser was weary and exhausted from his training at the temple, which was located a mile from the city. There he spent hours training to master a strange and ancient art that could connect their world with the monster world. To put it bluntly, he was going to be a gate. A gate that allowed a specially gifted few into the monster world to train and become Kaijudo Masters.

His bones were weary and his muscles were as stiff as iron. Thankfully, the monks were pleased with his progress in his training and gave him a couple of weeks off to rest and meditate in their ways. He got off the bus that picked him up from the stop at the bottom of the mountain where the temple stood. He was so happy to be home. To be in civilization. He was still in the smaller part of town, but he could see the cityscape ahead of him shining brightly and lighting up the night with bright neon. He then noticed a red light from the corner of his eye. He looked down and gasped. His hand was engulfed in a flaming red aura.

"Shit!" he grumbled. He shook his hand and it put the flame out. "Aw, man."

Up ahead, next to the bottom of a concrete stairwell was a little outdoor noodle cafe. The cooks were nice and warm from the rain inside their kitchen. In front was a bar with three red stools to sit on underneath the roof. An orange paper lantern with the cafe's name was right next to the entrance, sealed off with a beaded curtain. Before David stepped inside, he got a bottle of lime soda from the vending machine outside. He stepped inside and sat down on the stool.

"Welcome," said a cheerful young lady from behind the window. She wore a cute serving outfit and a hat that looked like a bowl of noodles. She slid him a menu and David ordered a regular bowl of house noodles. "How's your day been, cutie?" she asked.

"Me?" David asked.

The girl giggled and nodded. She admired his tight jeans and his hooded faux leather jacket. It looked expensive. And he also had a gold and platinum ring with emeralds on his index finger. "You are the only one here, silly."

"Oh, my day's been all right. It's been touch-and-go," he replied. "How long have you worked here?"

"Ever since I was little," the girl replied. "My papa owns the shop. I might inherit it from him one day."

"Well, good luck to you," David said.

"Thanks. Hey, um, are you new around here?"

"You can say that," David said. "How did you figure?"

"Oh, I've served everyone here in this part of town. I know everyone's faces. I never forget people's faces. And I'll always remember a charming face such as yours." She winked. "Um, what are you doing this weekend? Maybe we could..."

"Keiko!" her father called from the kitchen. "Hurry up! We've got things to do back here."

"Coming, pa!" she called out. "Sorry. Will you be around?"

"I can't make any promises," David replied. "There are some things I need to take care of after I've had my meal."

Keiko nodded. "I understand. Don't be a stranger, please. It's nice to have new people around. Well, goodbye."

"Bye," said David.

His smile faded when she left. He was so, so, tired. The training at the temple was far beyond what he thought it would be. Aside from playing Duel Masters for hours and hours, meditating, and the chores, he had to be taught some strange form of martial arts that involved staffs, his fists, and his feet. That was the worst part of it. The instructors were awfully strict, and they had to be. If he was to delve into a world full of monsters, he needed to defend himself against them. Apparently, at the end of his training, he would be given a special gift. What it was, he did not know, but he couldn't wait to get it.

"Here you go sir," the girl said, sliding the bowl of noodles at him.

"Thank you," David said. He pulled a pair of chopsticks from the dispenser and ripped them free from their packaging with his teeth. Once he slurped the delightful meal, his tastebuds burst with glee. Finally. Something other than a ball of rice and a strip of chicken. And soda! All sword had to drink was water from the river that flowed down the mountain. It felt so good to have flavor in his mouth again. So good!

Just as the girl was about to ask him if he wanted more, her smile faded and she backed away in fear.

David looked over his shoulder. A group of boys dressed in all black clothes stood behind him. David rolled his eyes and continued eating.

"You're the guy who hunts Darkness duelists, right?" said a guy with wild lavender hair.

"Only those who deserve it," David answered, trying to slurp some noodles.

"Hey, we're not playing around here, kid!"

"Neither am I," David replied. "I'm trying to eat here."

"And we want you to stop hunting down players who use Darkness cards."

"Well, if they'd stop following Marcus and his ways, maybe there'd be no need for me to be around right. God, and you know what? Why Darkness? Why's it always the Darkness Civilization that gets stuck with people like you? It's so cliche, it's making me sick."

"Your presence is making us sick!" said the lavender-haired guy. "Marcus heard you were back in town. He personally asked us to let you know that if you continue hurting out players, it's not going to end well for you."

"Standing around and letting you guys dabble in the dark arts isn't going to end well for anyone. If you guys had any idea what that stuff did to people, you'd turn tail and find somewhere else to hang out. And maybe a different place to shop other than Hot Topic. Come on, guys, I know everyone has their own little clans and groups, but this is silly."

"He's making fun of our threads!" said a spiky-haired kid.

"Can you blame me?" David said. "Now, guys, I know you want to act all cool and threaten me, but I'm not looking for trouble tonight. I just got back from the temple, it's my holiday, and it's been forever since I had a decent meal."

"Set it down!" said the lavender-haired kid. "We want to fight you right now!"

"Come on, guys, there's no greater sin in this world than letting a perfectly good bowl of ramen noodles grow cold."

The guy with the spiked hair came forward and knocked the bowl right off the counter. The serving girl wanted to speak, but her father, also the cook, held her back and told her not to get involved.

"You just cost me five bucks," David said. He got off the stool and turned to look at the Darkness gang. "You want to duel. You got a duel."

He followed the duelists to a special area of the park where a brand new dueling table was built, complete with holograms, much to the chagrin of the neighbors, who didn't like the noise the monsters made.

"If you want to get out of here, you'll have to beat all of us," said the lavender-haired boy. "You game? Or are you chicken?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," David said. "Let's begin, shall we? Oh, if you lose, one of you has to pay for my meal."

They all laughed at him and started to play.

For the first couple of turns, both of them just added cards to their mana pool. David cast a few spells to help increase it even further. Three turns and not a single monster. Finally, the darkness player then summoned a monster called Poison Worm.

David added mana and ended his turn.

"You're so boring," said the darkness player. "I now summon Gray Balloon. Next, I attack your shield with Poison Worm."

"Shield Trigger, activate," said David. Faerie Shower. Now I draw two cards. Then I add one of them to my hand and put the other in the mana pool. Now, it's my turn. I summon Bronzezaurus Bronzekind!" David said, calling on a prehistoric monster that stomped out of the forest and stood over his shoulder.

"Now that he's summoned, I can add a card from the top of my deck to my mana pool."

The darkness player summoned Vampire Silphy!

David continued to use up his turns by adding mana, and he continued to lose shields. The darkness player started to laugh. "Hey, guys, I think we got the wrong guy. This moron doesn't know how to play. Hey, I now evolve Gray Balloon into Jack Viper, Shadow of Doom!"

The round, white, ghost howled and curled itself up. Then, its pale flesh started to spread and rip apart until a very long ghost of an eel-like dragon emerged from its shredded corpse.

"I'll attack your shields with Jack Viper, Vampire Silphy, and Poison Worm."

"Another Shield Trigger," said David. "Faerie Life. I add the top card of my deck to the mana zone. Now it's my turn again. I tap nine to summon Triprex, Growth King!"

The entire forest quaked from the monstrous roar let out by David's monster. It stomped out from the trees and looked down at the Darkness players with burning eyes. Glowing orange patterns flowed down its face and body.

"Too bad," said David's opponent. "On my next turn you're done for."

"I won't be going down on your next turn. Allow me to finish mine so I can show you what I mean. When Triprex is summoned, I can put two non-evolution creatures from my mana zone to the battle zone. I call on Juranail, Seven Quakes World King and Glenmalt, Final Dragon Edge."

Woosh! Something huge flew overhead causing the trees to quiver and rustle their leaves. It was a giant black dragon, whose body was accented with flaming gold and leafy patterns. His wings were purple and he had a jeweled headdress on the top of his head. Then, Glenmalt, Final Dragon Edge rose out of the ground from a pool of fire and lava.

"Look out, man!" called one of the members of the darkness gang. "That Glenmalt guy! He's a Draguner! They can call on those weapons."

"A Draguner?" mumbled David's opponent.

"Yes," said David. He nodded at Glenmalt. The boy in dragon armor then raised his hand and conjured a weapon from David's Hyperspacial Zone. It was a giant green hammer shaped like a dinosaur's head, covered in gold and red spikes. There were vines wrapped all around it, and once Glenmalt gripped the handle, the vines dispersed and slithered away.

"This is Judaina, Jurassic Hammer. Now it's effect activates. I can summon a Dragon from my mana zone. Come forth, Chainrex, Super Chain Kind!"

Glenmalt raised the hammer over his head and smashed it on the ground, summoning another one of David's Jurassic Command Dragons. The creatures were so tall and primal. Their growls were loud and deafening, filling the opponent with fear.

"And now that Chainrex has been summoned, I'm allowed to summon a creature from my mana zone that costs 2 less than Chainrex. I summon Parasking, Revolution Invasionkind!"

"Ah, it's like Jurassic Park, man!" shouted the kid with purple hair. "They're going to kill us."

"Dude, I get it! That's enough, man!" said the opponent.

"No, it's not. I end my turn. And when I have three or more Dragons on the battle zone, Judaina, Jurassic Hammer's Dragsolution is fulfilled. And I can flip it over and awaken the beast. Sauropio, Ancient King!"

A flash of green light erupted behind David and then the monstrous dinosaur creature in the card formed behind him, standing tall above the other dinosaurs he summoned.

David's opponent began to laugh. David rolled his eyes and waited for the guy's hysterics to die down. "You, duntz!" he said. "What good did it do you summoning all those monsters, huh? You forget, you have only one shield left and no Blockers to stop my creatures. After these next couple of attacks, it's all over for you."

"Oh no," said David. "Oh, wow. I guess you're right. Stupid me, how did I not think this through."

The other darkness duelists laughed at him. "Did you see how dramatic he acted? What a poser!"

"Let him know who's the boss!"

David's opponent nodded. "Yes. I will. Ha! You fool! Who do you think you are challenging the Darkness Clan."

"I didn't," said David. "You guys interrupted my meal and harassed me until I faced you."

"Aw, too bad!" said his opponent. "I'll break your last shield with Poison Worm."

The giant parasite slithered out from the ground and swallowed the shield, leaving David open for the finishing blow.

"Todome Da!" shouted the opponent. "Vampire Silphy, go!"

She didn't move.

"Did you hear me! Todome Da!"

Vampire Silphy still didn't move. She was frozen solid. Her master slammed his fists on the table and pressed buttons all around it, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"What's going on!? Why won't she attack? Fine, forget you, bitch! Jack Viper, attack him! Todome Da!"

It was the same result. Jack Viper was absolutely still.

"What's happening!?"

David chuckled. "I guess none of you have heard about Saurupio Ancient King, have you?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I have no shields and he's on the battle zone, you can't attack me."

"B-b-b-b-but...b-b-but...that just isn't fair!"

"Fair!" David shouted. His hand was enveloped in a flaming neon green aura fading into crimson near the edges. "Was it fair for your victims to get pulverized by your monsters just for kicks? Is it fair that some of them have to live with horrible nightmares for the rest of their lives? You knew what you were getting into when you decided to dabble in the dark arts surrounding this game. The Temple has taken notice of your activities. And I assure you, all of you, that your actions will NOT go unpunished. You want to play around with Kaiju, then prepared to get beaten by them. Consider this a message from the Temple. Stop now or all hell will be unleashed. Triprex, Growth King, attack and destroy three of his shields!"

The prehistoric dragon roared, accepting David's command. He stampeded across the field and swiped his clubbed tail, smashing his opponent's shields to pieces. Then, Chainrex, also a Triple Breaker, came next, destroying the last of his enemy's shields with his long claws.

"Saurupio! Finish him off! Todome Da!"

Sauropio raised his gigantic hammer and smashed it on the ground with all his might, sending David's opponent and his friends flying backward from the impact. Lights all around the neighborhood flickered and hundreds of car alarms wailed in unison.

David's creatures vanished one by one and a grumble of thunder shook the stormy skies. David looked at his hand and sighed. He shook it and the flames went out. "What's happening to me? It's getting worse," he said trying to fight back the tears in his eyes. "That was a little too real. I hope those monks know what they're doing."

He heard a timid gasping nearby. Under the light of one of the park lamps, he could see someone hiding behind a tree. It was Keiko, the girl who served him at the noodle cafe. She looked awfully frightened. Her grip on the umbrella she carried loosened. She almost lost it in the wind had she not snapped out of her shock.

David shook his head. The residents living in the area ran outside their houses, wondering what in the world happened to create such a loud noise. David dashed into a bamboo forest before anyone could spot him.

"Wait!" Keiko called softly. He was gone.

When he was safe and all alone in the forest, David's phone rang.

"Hello?" he said.

"David."

"Knight?"

"What happened?" Knight asked. He was sitting in his office located near the top of a skyscraper resembling a castle. "There was a disturbance in the air. Something told me you were involved. Are you okay?"

"No, I was challenged by some Darkness gang. I didn't want to fight, Knight, they wouldn't leave me alone. I...I think I hurt them."

"Calm down, it's all right. Get out of there and come by my building. We'll talk there. Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

"I was going to my grandmother's house, but I don't want to visit her. Not after this." His voice started quivering. "Knight, it's getting out of control, I'm scared. Is this supposed to happen?"

"No," Knight said. "I had a feeling the art the monks were training you in was too...extreme. There's a reason why the ancient Kaijudo Masters banned its practice thousands of years ago. I'll explain everything when you get to my building. You can stay here until the magic cools down. If it is out of control as you say, it's best to avoid contact with anyone. Your grandmother, too. If it is becoming more than you can handle, the monsters might rip through your spirit and they might hurt her."

"I know," David said. "Shit. I didn't want this."

"Neither did I," said Knight. "But the Monks and Masters have spoken. I'm sorry it had to be you who needed to be their guinea pig. Get here fast."

* * *

* * *

"Hey, Angel! Angel!" called Gordon from the living room. He and Malcolm were playing video games together, even though it was an hour past their bedtime.

Angel came running in from the kitchen. She was apparelled in a white tank top and light blue athletic short-shorts with an apron wrapped over her. "Yes, yes. What is it?" she asked.

"We want some more of that awesome hot chocolate you make," Gordon said, not even looking at her. He and Malcolm were too focused on their game to even care about her. "Whip us up a batch, will you?"

"You know I can't do that!" Angel said sternly. "It's almost time for bed and if you drink anymore sugary things, you'll be up all night."

"Yeah, duh! That's kind of the point!" said Malcolm.

"But your mothers want you both in bed by nine o'clock!"

"They're on business in Oceanville!" said Malcolm. "They won't be here until tomorrow morning. We can stay up all night and do anything we want. Now, hurry up with that hot chocolate. And remember to use my Call of Valor cup and swirly straw!"

"Mine, too!" Gordon said.

"Oh, tarnation on you both!" she said walking back to the kitchen to make them their beverages. Not wanting them to get fueled into a sugar rush, she didn't add that many sweeteners to the drink. Once she was done, she poured the hot chocolate into the cup marketed by their favorite video game. She came back to the living room and served them their drinks on a silver tray. Once the boys tasted the unsweetened beverages, they spat them back into their cups at once.

"Yuck! What is this, Angel? What? Are you trying to poison me?"

"You can't have sweets!" Angel said. "And you won't be getting any more because I said so! HEY!"

They jumped on her and tied her hands behind her back and with their jump rope then tied both her ankles with another one. Then they ran into the kitchen to raid the pantry closet and grabbed cookies, brownies, Aunt Lydia's finger cakes, and then they headed to the fridge to grab cans of soda pop.

"Stop!" Angel said. She tried to free her wrists. "You're supposed to be in bed!" she called. But within thirty minutes of ingesting all that junk, the boys passed out on the floor. Once they were out, Angel freed her wrists from the ropes and undid the ones around her ankles. She poked them both to see if they were truly sleeping. None of them moved. They were out cold.

"Phew," Angel said. She carried them both, one-by-one to their rooms and tucked them in for the night. She then went downstairs and cleaned the mess they made in the laundry room. When everything was clean, she slumped on the couch and sighed. Finally, she could have a moment to herself. Then she remembered something. Her cards! They were still in the trash. Angel dashed through the mansion's endless maze of halls. Once she reached the hall where Jenkins's room was, she tiptoed past his domicile and into the garage. The dumpsters smelled sweet and terrible, but at least it wasn't pungent or foul. The smell was tolerable. She dug through six bags of trash before she eventually found the one with the gifts the boys at school gave her.

Angel pulled out stacks of booster boxes, a small starter deck, and the booster boxes.

"You beat me to them," said a dark and gloomy voice.

Angel gasped, for the voice belonged to the butler, Jinkens. He stood there at the entrance of the doorway clad in a tank top and his dress slacks. He seemed like such a nerdy and old guy, especially with his round glasses. But without his penguin tuxedo, he was a very well-built man. His arms were jacked and she could see abs pressing against the tank top. He was an old man, but one who liked to stay in shape. No wonder he was his age and still walking around on his own two legs.

"I'm sorry," she said. Seeing his stone-cold expression and his toned body made her frightened. She felt a cold spot in her underwear, feeling a trickle of urine coming out. She felt like this man was going to beat her for breaking the rules. "I'm so sorry," she said again.

"Quite alright," Jenkins said to her surprise.

"Huh?"

Jenkins suddenly formed a smile. "I meant to pick those up for you," he said.

"You were? But I thought..."

"A young lady such as you, no matter her background, should have the right to enjoy herself. I've been around town for some time and I've noticed the youth of the city have such a fondness for this game. You yourself should try it out. It's a good deal of fun."

"Jenkins, I..."

"I will not say a word," he said. "Listen, Angel, I know your aunts can be...rather unfair. But I assure you, the sun will rise."

_The Sun Will Rise..._

"It can't rise soon enough," Angel said. Those were the words of her father's House. She reached into her shirt and took out the gold medallion with the symbol of the family. A blazing sun. "I can't take it anymore. Pulling my hair? Humiliating me? Paddling my bottom as though I were a little child. Locking me in my room without supper. And dealing with those...those...boys."

"I call them bastards," Jenkins said with a chuckle.

That made Angel giggle.

"I digress, Lady Restoncourt. You better get those cards to your room now and hide them well. If I know the young masters, and I do, this siesta is nothing more than a nap. They'll wake soon." He turned and walked away. Then he stopped and looked back at her. "Lady Restoncourt," he said with a bow and returned to his room.

"Thank you, Jenkins," Angel whispered.

Once she had her treasures in hand, she hurried back to her room, washed her hands, and sat down to open her gifts. She wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could. Not since her parents were killed back in the kingdom had anyone gave Angel presents. She sat down and started to open them one by one. The Fire cards she found rather intimidating and the Darkness ones were just too evil for her. She set her favorite cards, mostly Light Civilization cards, into a pile. She was rather fond of the Light cards because of their graceful art and beautiful names.

"Now how do I play?" she wondered.

Thankfully, someone was infatuated with her enough to get her a starter deck with two ready-to-play decks inside, and those had lots of Light cards for her to add to the deck she was making. The deck also came with a rulebook, which wasn't that hard to read through. Duel Masters was a pretty simple game to play. She read about the types of cards, their abilities, mana cost, and shields.

"I see now," she said. "I think I can get the hang of this. If only there were a way to play against someone." She looked out her window and saw the DMTECH tower stretching high into the sky. "Of course!" she said. "It's Friday! Everyone is out in the city playing Duel Masters.

Angel quickly showered and got dressed, then snuck out of the mansion and called a taxi that took her to the Ryoya. "Let's see if I have what it takes to play this game."

* * *

* * *

The doorbell to the apartment rang, telling Felicity that her friends were had arrived.

"Dad! Can you get that!?" Felicity said from the bathroom. She was still applying her makeup.

Mark left his office and opened the door, surprised to see the group of lovely young ladies garmented in sparkly and stylish party dresses. "Well, well, hello!" he said. "Come in, ladies, come in."

They followed him into the living room where Riley, Duncan, and a friend of his were playing video games. "Whoa!" said Duncan, watching the girls come in one-by-one. He admired their dresses and the amount of skin they showed.

"Ditto!" said his friend.

"Wow, you're all dolled up for the night," said Mark.

"You must be Felicity's dad," said Rebecca, wearing a white dress with blue wave designs.

"And you must be Rebecca," Mark said shaking her hand. "Felicity's told me all about you. And you must be the rest of her friends. Let's see...Phoenix?"

"That's me," Phoenix said, almost blinding everyone with a sparkly ruby-red dress.

"Beautiful," said Mark. "And, uh, Kaitlyn?"

"Present!" Kaitlyn said, raising her hand. "And this is my bestie, Rei Mitsurugi."

Mark smiled and gave Rei a welcoming nod. "Pleasure meeting you both. Have you known my daughter long?"

"We just met," said Rei. "But we're getting used to each other."

"I'm Mio," said a girl with chocolate-brown hair covered with silk flowers. "I just met Felicity this afternoon after she had a duel."

Ms. Anne came into the room from the office. "A duel?" she said. "Oh, my goodness? Is the pageant underway? Look at all you lovely ladies." They all laughed and waved hello to Ms. Anne. "Well, I see Duel Masters has won Felicity some friends." She nudged Mark on the arm with her elbow. "See, babe, I told you that game would help her bunches."

"And I'm certainly glad it did," said Mark. "It warms my heart to know she's made so many friends. And on her first week of all things."

"And there's more," said Rebecca. "But they're all guys, though. They couldn't make it because...well...this is kinda our night."

"Ooooo!" Anne said, shaking her hips. "Having a little girl's night out are we? Lovely, lovely."

"Are you Felicity's mom?" Mio asked.

Anne did her best to keep her smile. "Well...no. But I'd like to be. Poor dear. She lost her real one in a car crash about a year ago."

"Oh," said Rebecca. "She never talked about that to anyone."

"That's news to me," said Kaitlyn.

Anne pursed her lips. "Um, has she talked about me?"

"No, ma'am," said Rei. "She never spoke about you to anyone."

Anne looked at the floor sadly. "I see. Well, I, uh, should be getting back to work. You ladies have a lovely night, okay."

"Thank you, Mrs. Reagan," said Phoenix. "It was very nice to meet you."

"Likewise, have a good time!" Anne went back to the office. When she did, Felicity finally came out of the bathroom in a candy-red dress with black lace, a hooded leather crop jacket to shield her from the rain outside and keep her warm; and black boots that were stylish but could also protect her feet from the puddles.

"Wow!" Kaitlyn said. She clapped her hands. "Look at you!"

The others cheered and Felicity gave a twirl. "Ready?" she asked.

"Are you?" said Kaitlyn. "You didn't answer any of my texts. We thought you might have died or something."

"Nope, still kicking," Felicity said. "Bye, dad. Thanks for letting me go out tonight."

Her friends crowded around her. Kaitlyn came up from behind and squeezed Felicity in a tight hug. "We'll bring her back before eleven, Mr. Reagan."

Mark held up his hand. "Come back home any time. Have fun out there, ladies."

They said goodbye one last time and stormed down the hall toward the elevator. "Picture, girls!" Kaitlyn said. "Huddle up for a picture." She gathered her friends in front of the mirrored doors of the elevator and held up her phone, adjusting the settings as her friends got together for the photo. When they were just right, Kaitlyn took the picture and they all cheered.

"What are we going to do tonight?" Felicity asked.

"The question isn't what are we going to do, Felicity," said Mio. "The question is what AREN'T we going to do tonight."

"So I take it we're going to do more than just duel?"

"Oh, we're going to duel alright," said Rei. "How does a couple of squash matches at the mall's dueling arena sound to you."

"Well, so long as it's just between you all, I think I'll do fine."

"Uh oh," Phoenix said. "Sounds like someone is still very, very, anxious."

"But you kicked butt in your duel against Tommy's goons," said Rebecca. "How can you still be doubting yourself now?"

"Well...to be honest...I think Eren carried the match the entire time. If it hadn't been for him, I might have lost Bolzard again."

"You're not giving yourself enough credit," said Mio. "I'm sure Eren couldn't have done it alone."

"He probably could have," Felicity said. "He was dueling so well."

"Who cares," scoffed Rebecca. "All those skills don't mean shit if he's a handsy little pervert. He had the nerve of striking Felicity's butt right in front of all of us."

"Oooo, well, I can't blame him," said Kaitlyn. She held her hands over Felicity's bottom and waved them up and down in a curved motion, to which Felicity bent over and laughed. Kaitlyn howled and slapped Felicity's butt hard with her palm. "Damn! Look at that! Girl, what have you been feeding that thing!?"

"Who cares," said Rebecca. "Eren had no right to touch her that way."

"He's probably hungry for her," said Phoenix. "Y'all should have heard the way he swooned for her!"

Rebecca clasped her hands together and looked up. "Oh, Felicity! My darling. _When Bolshack roars in the East, Bolzard roars in the west_. It's destiny that we met."

"He didn't say that!" Felicity said over the laughter of her friends.

The elevator arrived in the parking garage and Kaitlyn led her friends to her truck and drove them downtown toward the Crystal Valley Mall where they would treat Felicity to dinner, then duel at the local arena before ending their night with some dances at a club that was built on the 100th floor of a nearby building. They had planned out everything and hoped that their time together would help quell Felicity's fears and get back in the game. But they first stopped at a clothing megastore with three floors. They took the escalators all the way up, Kaitlyn with her phone in hand, documenting their night for her vlog.

"We're here," said Rebecca. "Time to get you some new threads."

"New clothes?" said Felicity. "For me?"

"Well, yeah," said Phoenix. "Come on, Felicity. You're in Ryoya City now. That rustic farmer look of yours has so got to go. It's high time you got yourself a new outfit. And we know just the place. The Le Chic Boutique has got everything you need."

They dragged Felicity down the aisles looking for just the right attire for her to wear at school. Some were flashy. Some very nerdy. Others girly, and some revealing, thanks to Kaitlyn no doubt.

"Try this," Kaitlyn said, tossing something thin and small at Felicity.

"What's this?" she gasped, holding up a black thong. "This is underwear? It doesn't even qualify for dental floss!"

"What? You want to wear something like this?" Rebecca said, holding up a pair of panties with hearts and stars. "Woohoo!" she said waving them above her hips.

"Get her something racy," Rei suggested. "Some lingerie to make that Eren guy go ballistic!"

"Uh, I thought we were getting clothes for school!" laughed Felicity. She tossed it into the cart. "Ugh, fine. I'll try on the dental floss."

"HA! HA! HA!" Kaitlyn laughed out loud while high-fiving Phoenix.

"Don't worry about those clowns, Felicity," said Mio. "I think I know just what will suit you for school."

They followed Mio and Felicity to a part of the store with clothing suitable for a Duel Masters player. It took a while for them to figure out an ensemble. Phoenix often described customizing outfits as art.

"Wow," Rebecca said when the cashier neatly packaged all the clothes they bought for Felicity. "That outfit is so cool, Felicity. I can't wait to see you wear it for school on Monday."

"Yeah, me, too. It matches my Fire deck, huh?"

"Yeah, good job. Now, it's time to get some food. Who's up?"

"I am!" said Mio. "Man, I'm starving."

They left the clothing store and traveled all the way down to the food district of the mall where there was a ferris wheel and a long rectangular pond with pretty fountains. After they finished a lavish steak dinner at the casino's steakhouse, they took Felicity upstairs to the dueling center where arenas were built all around. Students young and old were everywhere. They walked around, sat on the benches nestled in front of indoor aquatic gardens, or gathered in the card shops to buy packs to strengthen their decks with new sets. Screens, both physical and holographic, displayed advertisements for new sets or displayed duels taking place all over the center. Almost all the structures in the dueling center were outlined or adorned with blue neon and made Felicity feel like she was looking at the world through a blue filter.

"This place is huge!" said Felicity. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's the smallest place to hang out and duel actually," said Rei. "But it's an ideal place for youngsters like us to hang out."

"There are so many duels going on," said Felicity. "I hope there's enough room for us to play."

"Oh, there is," said Kaitlyn. "Don't worry, babe, I got an entire arena with a lounge rented out for just our party for the next three hours."

"You all didn't have to do this for me," said Felicity. "I feel like I owe you."

"Think nothing of it," said Mio. "If there's one thing you should know about our group it's that we treat each other like family. Kaitlyn and Rebecca have the dough so if they want to treat you nice, they will."

"Think nothing about debt," said Kaitlyn. "The fact is, Rebecca sees something in you. She's never been wrong before. So if she's your cool, then your cool in my book." She shrugged. "And I think you're cute."

"Well, thank you all so much. Damn, I must have been born under a lucky star to have been fortunate enough to meet all of you." She paused to control her emotions. "Woo, sorry about that. So, when do we get to duel?"

"Soon," said Rei. "But we're going to need to update that deck of yours. It's just a starter deck, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah, no wonder you're always so close to losing. Never ever get a Duel Masters starter deck. Those are terrible. I've got enough money to get you some good packs, though. Come on. Let's head to the shop."

"Be sure to get her stuff from the Golden Best set," said Kaitlyn. "I not only want my girl to have some nice skills, but she needs some flashy bling for that deck."

"Meh," said Rebecca. "So long as those golden cards provide some good and aren't for show, I think we're in the clear. Oh, hey!" She waved down Flynn, who was standing in front of a girl with long gold and silver hair tied into two long pigtails with bubblegum pink streaks and held with two bright pink and white bows. She had on a black sweater with an oversized hood with cat ears and a ruffled skirt with pink fiberoptic lights and belted boots that were glowing pink at the bottom. Damn. Even her eyes were pink and very feline-like, making her look like a little kitten.

"Who is she?" Felicity asked.

"Flynn's sweetheart," said Phoenix. "Flynn, Penny! Yo! Over here!"

The pair spotted their friends and smiled. Penny put her black headphones with purple RGB lights around her neck. Then held her hand toward Flynn. He took it and helped her up to her feet and kissed the back of her hand, before taking her arm and walking her to the group.

"Small world," said Flynn. "You're all looking nice tonight."

"We're on our way to the Nexus after we've shown Felicity the ropes," said Rebecca. "Felicity, this is Penny. Flynn's girlfriend."

"I've seen her in the halls from time to time," said Felicity. "How do you do, Penny."

"Meh," she replied. "Can't complain. Just had dinner with Flynny-Flynn and now we're going to the arena to duel for a bit. But we would have been playing hours ago if Flynn had reserved our places."

"Money's tight, sweetpea," said Flynn. "I wish I could buy you all the things you want, but there's only so much I can do. Oh, Kaitlyn, I heard your buddy David Kaiser is back in town."

"Oh, really? Since when?"

"Since a few hours ago. But he's not going to have a warm welcome. The leaders of the city's top Darkness clans have put a hit on him for six booster packs and a hundred dollars."

"No, shit?"

"Nope," Penny replied. "And no surprise these guys all worship that asshole, Marcus."

"So, David's up to his antics again, huh?"

"Now more than ever," said Flynn. "I don't know what's going on with the Darkness clans but rumor has it that they're practicing some strange magic that can make the cards hurt people."

"Well, should it be any surprise to them that David would be out hunting them? They've injured so many others. And you heard what happened to Geoff. Has his condition changed?"

"Nope. He's still out cold. And he will be for a while. Once Kaiser hears about what Marcus has been doing, he's going to unleash hell."

"What's going on?" Felicity asked. "You mean to tell me that Marcus is using the cards to hurt people? I mean how is that possible?" She laughed. "What? He doesn't beat them to death with cardboard does he?"

"This ain't no laughing matter, honey," said Rei. "The members of the Darkness clans have figured out ways to summon monsters during duels. Dozens of people were sent to the hospital last month. But the beating Geoff took is the worst."

"But I thought only Kaijudo Duelists could summon monsters."

"That's what's bugging us about all this," said Flynn. "I know most of the guys in the Darkness clans. They're just posers dressing up to look like the cards in their decks. They have no potential to be messing with the art of Kaijudo. It all leads up to Marcus somehow." He looked at his smartwatch, which started beeping with urgent messages from his father. "Uh oh."

"Aww, do you have to go, baby?" Penny asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I've to go check on some stuff at home and then I have to visit grandma. She's not doing so well. But I swear we're going to have the whole night to ourselves next time."

"I hope so," Penny said. She put her hands behind her back and waved her hips left and right. "You know Bunny doesn't like to be left alone."

"Bunny's going to be all mine next time," he said. He rubbed his nose against hers and kissed her. "Bye, everyone. Kaitlyn, I'm sorry if this news troubled you. I assure you, we're going to look into this."

"Someone better," said Kaitlyn. "I heard the city council say something about sending in the cops. If they get involved, Duel Masters isn't going to be so fun anymore."

"Ain't that the truth," said Flynn. "Bye guys! I love you, Bunny."

"Bye!" Penny said and sighed sadly. "Aww, I guess I have to call it a night."

"We've got a reserved arena," said Felicity.

"You do?" said Penny.

"Would you care to join us?" Felicity asked.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," said Kaitlyn. "We'd love to have you over with us."

"Well, thank you. Lead the way."

But before they went to duel, they stopped by a card shop and bought packs for themselves and for Felicity, who definitely needed an upgrade from the starter deck she had. Once they were done, it was time for the game to begin. The group entered a very dark building the size of a football field and just as tall. The entire building was lit by blacklight, shrouding everything in fluorescent colors. Neon signs and hologram screens shined brightly from the domed roof and dozens of feet below were more than eighteen pavilions with dueling arenas.

Monsters were roaring and fighting against one another down there, exciting Felicity beyond belief. The girls got into an elevator that took them down to the arenas below. There were four layers of pavilions with arenas, making the Crystal Valley Mall's dueling center the tallest and larges public dueling arena in the world. Waterfalls fell down glass walls into a pool below where the main floor of Club Nexus was. The club itself was built along with the arena layers, giving it four floors of dancefloors and lounges, with the upper levels being held for older guests. The club music that reverberated across the dueling center was powerful and exotic. Every step they took they did with as they danced. Kaitlyn saw their arena near the windows, which had a gorgeous view of the city next to it, as did their lounge complete with a soda bar and a fridge with foodstuffs, chips, and candies.

"You sure did outdo yourself, Kaitlyn," Rebecca said, following her friends up the stairs to their lounge. "Wow!"

"Oh, look at the view!" Felicity said, running for a leather couch by the window lit with a black candelabra with red candles. She peered out into the cityscape and just glowed. She had never been so happy nor excited in all her life.

"Oh-ho! It's a party up in here," said a youngster with spiked flaming hair wearing a black dress shirt he left unbuttoned to show off his medallion and chest and black slacks. He had a crew of five other guys behind him. "Ladies, mind if we join you?"

"Mind?" said Kaitlyn. "Uh, yeah! We rented this place out for ourselves. Find your own spot."

"Aww, but we wanna play and hang out with you, girls," said a rather stout tan-skinned dude with frizzled hair held up by a red bandanna and wearing a green and yellow jersey over a white sweater and baggy pants.

"Well, we don't," said Phoenix. "Ugh, is there a guy in this city who isn't a total creep?"

"Creep?" said a tall and slim guy in a purple dress shirt and round black glasses. "Come on now, namecalling won't do at all. Oy, Kai, we've got to teach these ladies some manners, don't we?"

"That we do," said Kai, the spiky-haired guy. "Nobody disrespects my crew. We all happen to be one of the top 100 dueling clans in the city. Our team is on its way to the national championships. You should be honored to be in our presence."

"And that gives you the right to bother us?" asked Felicity.

"I like her," said a buffed blonde wearing a sleeveless vest and green, black, brown, and white camouflage cargo pants bloused into black boots. "She's mine."

"That she is," said Kai, going up the stairs. "Vegas. You take the pretty blonde back there. I'll have the red-head with the gold highlights. Mmm, Brody, you can have the bubbly blue girl here."

"Thanks, boss!"

"Jake, how about you take the lovey brunette with the flowers? Optic, you can have the little one with the pigtails. I'll take the girl with the black hair."

Kaitlyn slipped her arm around Rei's waist.

"What do you mean by 'have us'?" said Rebecca.

"I'm selecting opponents for my boys," said Kai. "Our team against yours in a duel. The team with the most spots wins. If we win, we take your spot. You can stay, of course, but you have to be our dates. I've offered a challenge and according to the code, as a duelist, you must accept."

Kaitlyn scoffed. "When I find whoever wrote that stupid duelist code, I'm going to kick him in the balls. Who will start first?"

"I'll go!" said Optic, a big guy in an orange vest and black pants with flames on them. "You, pigtails! Let's do this."

The girls gasped and parted to give Penny access to her arena.

"Bro, you don't know what you're in for," said Kaitlyn. "You'd best back out now while you have the chance."

"Team Asteroid never backs down from a challenge!" said Optic. "Let's duel!"

* * *

* * *

Penny smiled and put her headphones on. They started glowing purple and faded to pink and back to purple again. She walked to their arena next to the lounge. Team Asteroid, as they were called, were no gentlemen. They immediately sat down on the couch and left Felicity and the girls standing. Clearly, fame, money, their skills, and the championships they won have bloated their egos to a ridiculous size. Felicity almost felt pity for them. It was rather sad to see pride drag a human down to such despicable behavior. Still, they were not going to get away with intruding on their night like this. She had confidence in her friends and knew they were going to bring down these clowns.

"Ready?" said Optic.

Penny didn't listen. She just looked at her hand and shook her hips in a sassy manner as she listened to her music. The terminal screen in front of her could tell her who's turn it was, what card they played, and how much mana they had. That way she could block out the noise and most times, the overconfidence of every opponent foolish enough to challenge her.

"I'll start first," said Optic. "I'll set one mana and summon Aqua Teacher!"

His monster jumped out of the floor like it breached right out of water and hovered over the field.

"I cast one mana," Penny said and ended her turn. She leaned on the table and rested her chin on her palm, all the while swinging her bottom from side-to-side with the beat of her tunes.

"She isn't taking this very seriously," said Felicity.

"She never does," boasted Rebecca. "I don't care how skilled these Asteroid guys think they are, once Penny plays, she shows no mercy. Just watch."

"I summon Aqua Vehicle!" said Optic. "And now for Aqua Teacher's ability. When I summon a creature with no abilities, I can draw a card. Your move."

"I summon Jasmine, Mist Faerie," said Penny. "Then I destroy her and add the top card of my deck to my hand."

Felicity was confused at Penny's actions. "Why did she..."

"Shh!" said Phoenix. "Just watch. Penny knows what she's doing."

Optic drew and sniggered. "I summon Aqua Hulcus!" he said, summoning another liquid creature with no abilities, meaning he could draw a card. "Now, Aqua Vehicle will attack your shield, bitch!"

The strange water monster shot a beam of bubbles at the shield and shattered it. However, the shield formed into a moon, and a horrible howl filled the arena. Then, a zombie wolf in gold bone armor morphed on the field.

"You attacked my Shield Trigger Creature," said Penny, still wagging her bottom around. "Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper. When he's summoned, I can add a card from my graveyard to my hand."

"I end my turn," said Optic.

"Goodie. Now that your lame move is done, I summon Jasmine again and destroy her again to add a card from the top of my deck to my mana zone. Then, I cast the spell, Dark Life. I draw two cards. I add one of them to my hand and add another to my mana zone."

"Wow!" said Felicity. "She has six mana already."

"See? What did I tell you?" said Kaitlyn. "Penny knows what to do. Heaven help that loser, Optic. Once my girl, Penny, brings out the big boys, it's all over."

"Bell Hell De Skull, attack Aqua Vehicle!" Penny said.

The wolf zombie howled and sprinted across the field. He used his claws to cut the gelatinous creature to ribbons and destroy it.

"You wanna play rough, huh? Okay. Try this on for size. I summon Aqua Blade Blue Wolf. Then I attack your next shield with Aqua Hulcus."

Penny held up a card. "Shield Trigger. Death Gate, Gate of Hell. Now I can destroy one of your untapped creatures. Say goodbye to Aqua Teacher. Now you get no more cards. And I can summon a creature from my graveyard whose mana cost is less than the destroyed creature. I call on Jasmine once again, then I'll destroy her and add the top card to my mana pool once again. Are you done? Of course, you are. Now it's my turn."

She drew. "I cast the spell Shrine of Rebirth. Now I can add two cards from my graveyard to my mana zone. Now, I tap five to summon Triple Mouth, Decaying Savage." Another zombie wolf creature rose out from the floor and gave a ghostly howl. "When this cutie is summoned, I can add the top card of my deck to my mana pool and you discard a card from your hand. Now, I'll attack your shield with Bell Hell De Skull."

The wolf slashed the fool's shield. "Shield Trigger, bitch!" he shouted. "Brain Serum. Now, I can draw two cards. Awesome! I summon Aqua Jester Loupe! When he's summoned I can check the top card of my deck. And if it's a creature that costs less than Loupe, I can summon it. Let's see what I can draw." He picked up the card. "Wooo-yeah! Aqua Hulcus, baby! I end my turn."

"Fine," said Penny. "I summon another Jasmine and destroy her to add a card from the top of my deck to my mana pool. I'll tap two and summon Bloody Squito. Your turn."

"I draw!" said Optic. "Yes, time to summon the game-changer, baby. I summon iQ Cloypardia, Dragment Symbol!" He summoned a dragon made of rainbow-hued crystal that burst out of his watery mana pool.

The dragon snarled at Penny, who just looked at it and gave it an air kiss. Optic was not pleased with that gesture. "Not scared, huh? You should be!"

"Hold on!" Felicity called from the railing of the lounge looking down at the arena. "That creature costs eight. You don't have enough mana to summon him."

'Well, sugar tits, I'm glad you pointed that out. Dragment Symbol has the ability known as Sympathy. Which means he costs one less for each of a certain type of race. In this case, Liquid People. Since I have four of them in play, iQ costs four less to summon. So take that and shove it, girl! Next, iQ allows me to draw three cards." His face contorted with a terrifying expression of extreme joy. "YEAH! Oh, yes, now I've got just what I need to summon my best monster."

"Wait! How can you do that?" Felicity "You practically used up all your mana."

"Augh, you again!" said Optic. "Fine, I'll explain this one last time, but next time, keep your mouth shut! With my creature's ability, I don't have to worry about mana cost. All I need are three Liquid People creatures with no abilities. If I have those, I can summon my beast for absolutely no cost! And what do you know? I have three Liquid People with no abilities."

His friends started to clap and cheer. "YEAH, OPTIC!" "SUMMON YOUR BEAST, BABY!" "LET HER KNOW WHO'S THE BOSS!"

"Aqua Hulcus 1 and 2, combine with Aqua Blue Wolf and evolve into Trigram, Zero-order Dragon Formula!"

The Liquid Crystal creatures melted away and then turned into a geyser of water that turned into a dragon with a yellow visor over its eyes.

"Whenever I call on this guy to a battle, he spells doom for all my opponents. My dragon's a triple breaker so say goodbye to your last shields."

"Sure, whatever," Penny said. She just shook her hips to the beat of her music as the dragon summoned a tidal wave that destroyed all three of her last shields. "You going to attack with your last Liquid People creature?"

"Nah, you'll just block it," said Optic. "But it's no big deal. You're going down next turn."

"There isn't going to be a 'next turn' for you," said Phoenix. "It's over."

Penny giggled and tapped ten mana. "I evolve Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper and call on the second love of my life. Dorballom, Lord of Demons, ARISE!"

Penny's wolf howled one last time and transformed into one of the most horrifying monsters Felicity had ever seen before. What made the creature worse was that there was a theme of regality in his design. With all the white and gold on its robes and body, it seemed almost heavenly.

"Now, here comes the fun part," said Penny. "When he is summoned, all creatures except darkness creatures are destroyed and all non-darkness mana cards go to the graveyard."

"NO!" Optic cried out. "That completely nukes my entire board?"

Dorballom waved his arms around, conjuring a terrible dark spell that sucked all of Optic's monsters into a dark abyss. All his mana cards were sent there as well, leaving him with absolutely nothing. Then Penny commanded him to attack and shatter three of his shields. Optic wasn't so cocky anymore. There was nothing he could do to defend himself.

"Aww, what's wrong?" said Penny. "Can't play a thing? Can't blame you. Now I tap ten and create Mana Evolution. I can summon this creature in my hand by evolving him with a Demon Command in my mana zone. Ballom, Master of Death, evolve into Ballom Quake, Lord of Demons."

Another powerful demon command entered the field. Ballom again, this time it looked like he was infused with the power of nature. That was the end. She attacked with Ballom Quake, who used his Triple Breaker ability to shatter what remained of the poor boy's shields. Then, Dorballom moved in for the final strike, winning her the game.

"SHE DID IT!" Felicity said, jumping up high. "She did it!"

"I told you!" said Kaitlyn. She clapped her hands. "Woo!"

Penny gave Optic the finger, turned, and lifted her skirt, flashing her thong at him as a taunt before walking down the steps to head back to the lounge.

Optic sadly walked down from the duel terminal and joined his friends, who patted his back, telling him he did well. That was one victory, but there were still a few more to be one.

Rebecca and Brody were next to duel. Needless to say, it didn't go well for Team Asteroid either.

"I tap twelve mana to summon King Tsumami!" Rebecca shouted.

And when her majestic Leviathan came into play, it sent all other monsters from the battle zone back to the hand, returning Brody's Explosive Fighter Ucarn back to his hand. He summoned it again, but that did very little. With summoning sickness, there wasn't much he could do.

"Just as I thought," she said. "I tap four to summon Aqua Skydiver. Then I tap six to evolve him into Crystal Lancer!"

"Aw, crap!" Brody cried out. "This didn't go according to plan."

"Damn right it didn't," said Rebecca. "What, thought we were easy cuz we're girls? Crystal Lancer double break his shields!" Her green-colored aquatic knight galloped towards Brody's shields and smashed them with his lance, leaving Brody open for the final attack. "Now, King Tsunami, Todome Da!"

"AAAAAGGGHHH!" Brody cried when he was hit by the giant wave the whale-like creature conjured.

"I'm going next," said Vegas. "You, there, red-head with the bow! You ready?"

"Show him who's boss, Felicity," Kaitlyn said.

Moments later at the end of the duel, Felicity cast a spell called Magma Gazer, which gave a creature power attacker 4000 and Double Breaker. But first, she wanted to clear the field of Vegas's ace monster, who had been holding her down most of the duel. And her newest monster was just the right beast to do it.

"Gou Grappler Dragon, attack Knights of Cobalt Protean Elemental!"

Her newest beast shook its head from side to side and roared. He spread his rainbow wings and zoomed towards the blue-armored angel command. They had a short scuffle in the air for a moment, but Gou Grappler was the stronger beast. He eventually pummeled the monster, grabbed it by the arm, and tossed it at the ground. It then opened its mouth and shot a beam of fire at it, destroying it for good.

"Good job, Gou Grappler! Now, Bolzard Dragon, double break his shields!" she shouted. Bolzard Dragon felt the boost in power surge through his body and he flew towards Vegas, destroying the last two shields Vegas had. "Now, Crossfire Millionaire, blast him! Todome Da!"

Her monster conjured two fireballs in its palms. He tossed them at Vegas, knocking him flat on his back.

"Aw, crap!" he said. "You only beat me because my hand was bricked."

"Excuses, excuses," Rebecca said over the cheers of her friends. "Who's our next contestant?"

"Roaring Great Horn, Todome Da!" Mio said, ending her duel. Her hairy horned beast reared up on its hind legs, snorted, and charged across the arena, smashing her opponent's duel terminal and knocking him out of it.

"Eternal Phoenix, Dragonflame Phoenix, attack him! Todome Da!" Phoenix called out. Her fiery beast flew down and swung its multiple blades, striking her opponent with a terrible onslaught of fire and steel.

"5000GT Riot, Todome Da!" shouted Kaitlyn. Her favorite monsters obliged and used his multi-weaponed gauntlet to assault her cocky opponent. "I win, baby! Oh, yeah! You can't stop us."

Finally, it was Kai vs Rei. And she had absolutely no trouble with him.

"What a complete waste of my time," said Rei. "And you were supposed to be one of the top teams in the city? Not impressed. Bolbalzak, attack and finish him. Todome Da!"

And that was all she wrote. Team Asteroid said nothing as they left the girls alone, except vowing that they would regret this night. They would be back. Naturally, they all responded with the finger and telling them that they'd be ready if they ever wanted to tangle again.

"How was that for practice!?" Phoenix said as they danced around victoriously. They tapped their soda bottles together and toasted for a successful night.

"I can't believe I pulled it off," said Felicity. "These guys were supposed to be good or something, right?"

Her friends cheered and shouted, pleased that had grown to be overconfident and trash-talk the skills of her opponent.

When their time at the lounge was up, it was finally time to head for the Nexus Club. Wanting to have access to the fountain room, they had to climb all the way down the four layers of arenas to get there. Each floor of Club Nexus was full and congested, so there was no way they were going down from the club's stairwell. It would make for an interesting journey and it would mean more time together. On the way down to the second arena pavilion, they saw a large group of boys crowding around a terminal where a girl in a white dress patterned with gold floral designs and a cropped denim jacket was standing.

"Hey!" said Felicity. "Isn't that Angel?"

"The new girl from the kingdom?" asked Rebecca. She took a closer look. "Whoa! That is her! What's she doing in a place like this. It looks like she's ready to duel."

"Come on, I want to see," said Kaitlyn. "I've been hearing nothing but gossip about this new girl. Let's see what she's got."

They approached a railing on the second floor over-looking the arena below before it got full. And they made it just in time. Angel held her hand up and set up her shields.

"I set one mana and summon La Ura Giga, Sky Guardian!" Angel said. The holograms projected a pilotless ship soaring out from behind her and hovering over her duel terminal. Its engines hummed and lights flashed on and off on the tips of its wings. The boys crowding around her cheered and whistled, congratulating her on summoning her first monster.

"Good job," said Skyler. "I set one mana as well and summon Zepimeteus."

"A Blocker too?" said Angel. "Oooo! Fun. I tap two mana and summon Emerald Grass."

"Yaaaay!" cheered the boys.

"Man, these guys are such simps," said Kaitlyn.

Felicity giggled at the redness glowing on Kaitlyn's face. "What? Jealous?"

Skyler clapped. "Good job, once again! Wow, Angel, you're a pro. I'll tap two mana and summon Burning Mane!" The arena shook and then a monstrous roar caused the duel arena to quake. THUMP! A beastly two-legged wolf-like creature holding a tree as a club jumped from out of nowhere into the arena. He howled and slammed his fist against his sturdy chest.

"Wow! This is so neat!" said Angel. "Hmm. I choose to not play a card this turn."

"Oh, you being devious?" said Skyler. "What are you planning in that pretty head of yours?" His compliment made Angel titter. "Ha! I made you laugh. My night is complete. I tap three and summon Bronze-Arm Tribe!" He summoned the famous horse warrior but he came out with a different look. He was clad in a straw hat, cloaked in ragged garbs, and wielded a glowing, bright-green katana like a samurai mercenary.

"Oooo!" hooted Angel.

"Do you like him?" said Skyler. "I thought you would, Angel. Now, just because he looks different, it doesn't mean his effect is."

"No shit, Sherlock," said Rei with a roll of her eyes.

"What's his effect?" asked Angel.

"I can add a card from the top of my deck into my mana pool. And you know the rules. The more mana I have, the stronger the monster I can summon."

"Booooo!" said the boys in the crowd.

"Boooo!"

"Come on, man! Go easy on her!"

"Some gentleman you are!"

Angel drew her card. "I'll tap three and summon Senatine Jade Tree," Angel said summoning a horde of bio-synthetic creatures that floated all around her acting like a shield.

"More Blockers, huh?" said Skyler. "Come on, Angel. You've got to attack me sooner or later."

"We'll see," Angel said in a sing-song voice. "Your turn."

"You are just so precious!" said Skyler. "But I still intend to win, I hope you understand. Don't think I'm like the rest of the players you battled tonight. I aim to win."

"Boooo!" shouted the boys.

"Sorry to do this to you, Angel. I evolve Burning Mane into Barkwhip the Smasher!"

Burning Mane howled and the evolution symbol suddenly hovered above him, glowing green to represent the Nature Civilization. He transformed into a green, four-armed, giant monster with a giant hammer for a weapon. One of his extra ones had a thick, spiked, whip.

"And since he's an evolution monster, he doesn't get summoning sickness," said Skyler. "But I'm sure you knew that."

"No," Angel said delightfully. She was enjoying herself a little too much to care that a strong monster was standing in front of her and had the capabilities to smash her defenses. "I actually didn't know that. Wow. You learn something new about this game every day."

"Yeah, and now I'm going to attack your shields. Barkwhip attack her now!"

"I block with La Ura Giga," said Angel. "Your attack won't go through."

La Ura Giga flew in front of his whip, which he used to destroy players' shields. The whip snapped La Ur Giga in half, but it spared her shield from being destroyed.

"Yaaay!" the boys cheered.

"My turn," said Angel. "I tap three and summon Ruby Grass." An orange orb with a yellow light in the center formed over Angel and let out a ringing sound.

"More Blockers," said Skyler. "Come on, Angel. You must start attacking soon. Oh well, I guess I have to take down your defenses one by one with Barkwhip the Smasher. But just to make sure you don't try to take the offense, I summon Madrillion Fish. Now I'll attack with Barkwhip."

"And I'll block with Emerald Grass," Angel declared.

The tendril-covered golden orb activated its defense mode and flew in front of the Nature creature's whip before it could touch Angel's shield.

"There goes another one," said Skyler. "Soon, I'll have taken down all your Blockers and my creatures will be free to take down your shields."

"Well, they might have to wait a while," Angel said with a beautiful smile that made everyone's hearts melt.

"She's going to make me sick," said Kaitlyn.

Well...almost everyone.

"I tap five mana," Angel declared. "And summon uh...Suzie? Subuz? Szubs Kin, Twilight Guardian. I hope I pronounced that right." She summoned a flying ship that zoomed from a white portal and then stopped directly over Angel.

"A Blocker of 6000?" said Skyler. "Aw, man. He's stronger than Barkwhip. My offense has been put at a standstill for now."

"Yaaaay!"

Skyler drew his next card. "Ooooh! Hold on! I activate the spell, Aura Blast! This will give all my creatures +2000 power when they attack. Bronze-Arm Tribe and Barkwhip the Smasher will attack."

"And I'll take it," said Angel.

That didn't sit well with her admirers. They all pleaded for her to block and stop their attack, but she just stood there, waving her hips from side-to-side as Barkwhip snapped his whip and shattered a shield. Bronze-Arm Tribe jumped up high and slashed another with his katana.

"She just took it," said Rei.

"Not very smart, is she?" said Mio. "I thought she would have liked to block them.

"No, I think she pulled off a good move," said Rebecca. "Aura Blast gives Skyler's monsters a bonus in power just for the turn. After that, they go back to their original attack, meaning she can still stand tall behind her defenses."

"I don't see that lasting for too long," said Kaitlyn. "Little Miss Sunshine is going down really soon if she doesn't play anything soon."

Angel jumped with joy and made a squeaking sound. "I love this game!" she drew. "I tap four mana and cast the spell, Sundrop Armor. Now I can add a card from my hand to my shields." She had to speak over the loud applause from the boys. "Then I tap one mana and summon La Ura Giga, Sky Guardian."

"Angel, come on, girl, you're starting to bore me. Come on! I want a battle!"

"You want a battle, you got it. You've already set up a fight."

"How do you mean?"

"Because you attacked my shields, silly. You left your creatures tapped and exposed to my creatures."

Skyler gulped. "Oh no! She's right!"

"I attack Bronze-Arm Tribe with Senatine Jade Tree!"

"I will block your attack with Zepimeteus!"

The core inside the Jade Tree flashed and fired a laser. Zepimeteus leaped into the air and took the hit, blowing up to bits and leaving a colorful cloud of dust.

"Next, I'll attack Barkwhip with Twilight Guardian!"

"I block with Madrillion Fish!"

The Twilight Guardian flew over the field firing lasers from its ion cannon at the center of its nose. The gelatinous lion-shaped fish monster took to the air and blocked the attack, sacrificing himself to save Skyler's only chance of getting at Angel's shields.

"Well played," said Skyler. "But now you've left yourself exposed as well. Your two strongest Blockers are tapped and if you choose to block this turn. I'll just swat down your weakest ones and find a way to get to you. I now summon Leone Horn, the Raiding." He summoned a giant white boar with huge flaming tusks and glowing eyes like a blazing furnace. "You'll see what my little friend can do soon. But for now, I'll assault you with Barkwhip the Smasher."

"I block with La Ura Giga, Sky Guardian!"

Barkwhip snapped his whip and brought down another ship. Skyler, however, was getting annoyed. His pride was bloated and grew with each turn that went by without him taking another of Angel's shields.

"When are you going to fight me!?" he snarled. "We're supposed to be dueling here!"

"Don't snap at me!" said Angel. "I don't tolerate rudeness. I'm just going to have to teach you a lesson!"

"Oh, yes, bore me to death by standing there with another blocker."

"He's not! I tap four and summon Ur Pale, Seeker of Sunlight!" She summoned a cyborg made of glowing orange and yellow metal. "Happy?" she said.

"At least we're getting somewhere," said Skyler. "I summon Golden Wing Striker." He smashed his card on the terminal and then the holograms quickly rendered an eagle-like creature. "Now the fun begins. Leone, attack her shields. Oh, by the way, he gets +2000 for every creature I have in my zone. And if he has 6000 or more, he gains the ability of Double Breaker. Attack."

"I block with Ruby Grass!" Angel said.

"That's one down!" said Skyler. "Now, Barkwhip the Smasher, attack!"

"I'll take the hit," said Angel.

Barkwhip snapped his spiked whip and shattered another of Angel's shields.

"Three left!" Skyler said while forming a fist with his right hand.

"And more creatures exposed," said Angel. "I summon Mist Rias, Sonic Guardian. And thanks to him, whenever a creature is put in the battle zone, I can draw a card." A giant yellow ship flew in. The body flashed with blue trim and lights on the tips of its wings flashed. "Ur Pale will attack Leone!"

"Oh no!" said Skyler. "I forgot! I don't have Blockers to save my monsters now!"

"That's right," said Angel. She watched Ur Pale summon a solar storm and burn the giant boar to cinders. "And now Twilight Guardian will destroy Barkwhip!"

"This is not good!" said Skyler. "I have no defenses and my best monster is gone!" He drew. "Oh, wait. Nevermind. I have something that will help. But first, I cast Faerie Shower. I draw two cards. One is added to my hand and the other to my mana zone. Now, Golden Wing Striker will attack."

"I block with Senatine Jade Tree!"

"Too bad. Golden Wing Striker gets +2000 when he attacks. Now both he and your tree are evenly matched and therefore must destroy each other. I end my turn."

Felicity was puzzled by this. She looked at Rebecca and said: "He didn't attack with Bronze-Arm Tribe?"

"He must be planning something," said Rebecca. "But what?"

"My turn," said Angel. "I summon Iere, Vizier of Bullets and Gulan Rias, Speed Guardian. Since those are two monsters, I can draw two cards. I think I'll attack your shield with Ur Pale!"

"You activated my Shield Trigger. Terror Pit. And I'll use it to destroy your Twilight Guardian. And draw whatever you like, Angel. I'm afraid it's all over. I tap eight mana and summon the mighty Stratosphere Giant."

"Wow!" Angel said, gawking at the monster that was so tall he could reach the sky. "He's huge!"

"Yeah, too bad you won't admire him for too long. Once he attacks next turn, it's all over."

"She better figure something out and fast," said Rebecca. "Just look at that thing."

"How can I help not to?" asked Kaitlyn. "Holy fuck! His dick is probably taller than the Empire State Building."

"Lovely," Felicity said, rubbing her temples to get horrible images out of her mind. "Thanks, Kaitlyn."

Angel took a deep breath and touched the top card of her deck. When she did, Felicity noticed something. There was a twinkle like a star under her fingertips. "What was that?" she wondered.

"You saw it, too?" Rebecca asked.

They both looked at Angel whose eyes started to sparkle with glee. "I tap six and summon Ethel, Star Sea Elemental!"

The boys cheered even louder as the hologram projectors conjured what they all assumed to be Angel's signature creature. The giant, golden, synthetic angel floated over the field. The spheres orbiting its body made blissful ringing sounds as they flew. Six, sharp, transparent wings glowed behind it, lighting up the arena in a warm holy light. The guys below called to Angel from below her terminal and held up their phones. "Picture! Picture! Picture!" they all shouted. Angel turned and did poses for them in front of Ethel.

"Augh, let me know when this is over," Kaitlyn said. She walked to the bar to get a drink.

Rei gave a shrug and looked at her friends. "Sure, but she doesn't seem to mind when the cameras are all over her ass."

Angel attacked with four of her creatures, but it did very little. Skyler was still standing and he seemed pretty pleased with himself. "What a shame," he said. "Just when everything thought you had a chance. There's one thing you should know about my giant, Angel. He's a triple breaker, which means he'll break all three of your remaining shields."

"What?" Angel cried. "No! That is so unfair!"

"Tough luck, princess. Stratosphere Giant, smash her shields into oblivion!"

Stratosphere Giant let out a terrifying call, raised his foot, and smashed them like bugs. Angel yelped and shielded herself by covering her face with her forearm. The fans in front of Skyler's terminal blew very hard to simulate the giant's impact.

"And this is the final move!" said Skyler. "Bronze-Arm Tribe attack Angel. Todome Da!"

But Bronze-Arm Tribe didn't move. He was crouched down and a warning flashed on his screen that said: Error! Tapped Creature! Cannot Attack! Please consult the Duel Master's Rulebook for information on tapped creatures. Skyler took that as an insult. It was as if the systems were making fun of him for committing a childish mistake.

"What's this?"

"Hey! Hotshot!" Kaitlyn called from the second floor. "Shield Trigger!"

She was right. One of the shields Stratosphere Giant smashed was the spell known as Holy Awe, which forced all his monsters to tap. Bronze-Arm Tribe couldn't attack and he was now wide open for a direct attack.

"No!" he said, eyes bulging in shock. "This can't be! This can't be!"

"Does this mean I win?" Angel asked.

"Not yet, honey!" Rei called. "Finish him off with Ethel. Todome Da!"

"Yaaay!" the crowd cheered. "Todome Da! Todome Da!"

"All right, then!" said Angel. "Ethel, Star Sea Elemental. Attack Skyler and end the match. Todome Da!" She turned the card, causing it to flash, and then Ethel's orbs took offensive formation, charged, and fired lasers at Skyer's chest, knocking him flat on his back.

**Winner: Angel Restoncourt**

Steam blew out of vents around Angel's terminal, something that was commonly done when the winner was declared. She turned around, lifted her dress, and did a curtsy. The terminal showed her what cards she could pick as a prize for winning the match. "Oh, I want that one!" Angel said, tapping on the Light monster in the middle. A slot in the terminal opened and it released her prize card.

Just then, the boys started to crowd her. They were holding up their decks, waving them around and demanding she duel with them.

"I can't," she said. "Wait...hey...I have to get home, it's late."

"Come on, it looks like she needs some help," said Kaitlyn. She and Rei ran down the steps and then pushed and shoved until they parted the crowd. "Come on, let's go!" she said. "Or are you going to stand there like a deer in the headlights?"

Angel grabbed her deck and hopped down. Rebecca, Felicity, Mio, and Phoenix formed a diamond formation around her and escorted her out of the pavilion as security came in to calm the crowd down or kick people out. Once they were safe, they escorted Angel out of the club. They all panted, trying to catch their breath.

"Phew," said Rebecca. "It's times like this that make me glad I'm not too popular."

Angel looked like she was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen," she said. She looked down at her dress. "Aw, no! They ripped it! Oh, how bad is it?"

"Uh oh, it's really bad," said Rebecca. "You can see everything, dear,"

"Yeah, I can see your panties," said Mio.

"My panties!? Oh gracious, no!" Angel said, frantically looking around. She hid in the corner, hoping no one would see her. "What do I do now?"

"Hang on," Mio said. "There's no need to panic." She took Angel's jacket off and tied it around her waist. "Why are they crowding around you like that?"

"Men," Angel said. "What do you expect?"

"I hear that," Kaitlyn agreed. "But there are a lot of girls around here who are just as beautiful as you and they never get mobbed the way you did."

Angel's face turned pink. "Oh, it's just...well, there's just a silly rumor going around," Angel answered. "It's no big deal."

"Seems like it's a really big deal," said Penny. "People don't chase others around if it wasn't important."

"Yeah, you're right," Angel said. There was no lying to them. "Back in my country, I was a singer. One of the very best and most celebrated, forgive me for boasting. As soon as I came into town, I guess someone spread the word around of who I was."

"Someone has a big mouth," said Phoenix.

Angel laughed. "Well, I had a ton of my countrymen as followers on my page." She sighed sadly and looked at the floor. "They're probably dead right now, though."

"I'm sorry," said Kaitlyn. "So, I guess some of that fame from your page made it out here, huh? Do you sing well? Were you really that famous in the kingdom?"

"Oh yes," Angel replied. "The king and queen invited me to the palace to sing for their children during parties. And I was going to release an album in the capital. Oh, I was so close to winning a golden record. But then the war started and everything went to hell."

"So you sing, huh? Are you going to get back into that?"

"Heavens, no! Never! Not after what happened tonight!" 

Felicity waved her hands. "All right, all right, calm down, I meant no offense."

"I'm sorry," said Angel. She hung her head in shame. "I've been through a lot."

"I can only imagine," Rebecca said, petting the back of her head to calm her. "You poor thing. Almost sold into slavery."

"She what?" said Kaitlyn. "Oh, damn. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine," Angel said. "Thank you all for getting me out of there. I'm Angel. Angel Restoncourt."

Kaitlyn patted her on the shoulder. "Well, Angel, how's about I buy you a new dress and get you home? I think you've been through enough tonight."

Angel shook her head. "I appreciate the gesture, but it's all right. I can manage."

"You sure? It's no trouble at all."

"I assure you I'm fine. Thank you. And bless you all. Lumbolé," she said and did a curtsy.

"Say what?" Penny said.

Angel giggled. "Forgive me. It's how we say goodbye in my country. I've seen you two at school," she said pointing to Rebecca and Felicity. "We're in the same class, yes?"

"Yeah, we were there when the teacher introduced you," said Felicity. "See you at school. And you play beautifully. Maybe we can get together and duel sometime."

"I'd like that very much," said Angel. "Take care, ladies."

* * *

* * *

Eren walked into his brother's apartment soaked and exhausted. His first shift at the card shop. And it was a terribly busy one, especially with it being the weekend. He passed the living room where Weaver and Ludmilla were kissing on the couch. He didn't want to disturb them and quietly went to his room. He took off his work apron and tossed it in the closet, then kicked his shoes off and changed into his pajamas. After he was warm and dry, he sulked to his computer and went to a popular social media page called OurLIFE to see if he had gotten the response he was looking for. **Felicity Reagan. Friend Request: Pending.**

"Aww, man," Eren said. "So much for that prospect."

Hungry! Something shouted at the corner of his desk.

"What?" Eren took off his headphones. He listened carefully for the voice again. "Rip! Tear!" There it was again. The voice was coming from his Duel Masters deck. He looked at the card in the front of the deck. MaltNEX. He was alive. "When do we fight!" he shouted.

"OH GOD!" Eren shouted and fell off his seat. "What the!" He rose up slowly and peered at the card. "You...you can talk?"

"Yes, now listen up, fool! We have a lot to discuss."


	7. Ice Cream and Dragon Fire

* * *

Angel squinted her eyes when a bright light illuminated her room. She heard the sound of her curtains being pulled apart beforehand, telling her that someone had entered her room to wake her. She opened her eyes and saw Jenkin's figure at the window. He opened the window to let in some air and cool her room a bit. The lights of the canopy around Angel's bed were still on, though barely visible in the sunlight.

Jenkins walked to her bed and turned the lights off. "Up, up, Miss Angel," said Jenkins.

"Mmmm," Angel cooed, turning the other way and hiding her head under her soft pink sheets.

"Now, now, Angel. Get up. It's a new day. Of course, you can always answer to your aunt when she finds you still in bed at this hour."

Angel sat up and stretched. "But it's Saturday," she whined.

"And you have a busy schedule today, Miss Angel. You have your appointment with the doctor in a couple of hours. Then you have to watch the boys until your aunts come back from their weekend shopping spree. And you have to clean the living room as well. After that, your aunt says you are free to do what you want. I would take that time to go out into the city again. Seems like you had quite the time last night. I do hope you don't party too hard. The press is starting to take a look out our estate now that everyone knows you come from Alagashian nobility."

"And my singing career," said Angel. "The views on all my music videos doubled upon coming to this country. The press is already on me, Jenkins. They're going to eat me alive."

"Let's speak of that matter no longer," said Jenkins. "It's best to just adjust to this place and leave your old life behind. It's a dangerous time to be a countryman of Alagashia. The agents of House Corbet are everywhere. Even here in Ryoya City. Just the fact that you come from a House that supported the Bourbons puts you in grave danger. So...blend in as best you can."

He bowed. "Well. I must attend to my other duties. I left your medicine by your night table, see that you take it. And I also left a little something for you under your pillow. Something I found while I was window shopping the other day. Farewell, Ms. Angel."

He left and closed the door behind him. Afterward, Angel checked under her pillow and found a deck case made of gold leather with a gold coin embedded on the center engraved with the symbol of the Light Civilization and three booster packs from the set known as the Golden Series.

"Thanks, Jenkins," Angel said.

She got out of bed, showered, and dressed into a white and gold outfit that resembled a girl's school uniform. She then stuffed her deck into her backpack and walked downstairs and saw her father's office just down one of the long halls that led from the foyer. Yes, this mansion was once the Restoncourt Family's summer residence. And since Aunt Lydia was the only relative her father had left, she inherited it at once. That seemed suspicious to Angel, but she knew better than to speak out of line. It would lead to a paddling and privileges taken away. Angel didn't want that. Not now that she had made some new friends. The girl Kaitlyn slipped Angel her number before they parted and the red-headed Felicity added her as a friend online.

It was a good start to her new life here in the city. And she wanted things to remain on good footing. As she approached the office, she heard a commotion coming from it. Aunt Lydia. And she sounded terribly angry. Angel hid behind one of the fountains placed inside a niche along the hall and listened.

"Testing? There is no need for testing! Silence!" she slammed her fist on the desk. "You listen and you listen good, fool! My niece will never be tested. I have made damn sure that no one will put their hands on her. Yes. Yes, I know. Look, there is no need to worry. I have sacrificed too much to get you where you are right now. She will not get in the way of our plans, I assure you. She's beautiful, but she's a very stupid girl. She'll never know the truth. No one will. Just do what I tell you to do and the war will be over. Alagashia will finally go down a very long and prosperous road now that those fools are out of the way. And I have the girl locked up here in the mansion."

She paused. "Yes, yes, I know. But those stories you're hearing are nothing but rumors. Keep your mouth shut and they'll remain that way. And if anyone speaks about the...you know? Silence them! Silence anyone until this notion fades away into obscurity. Do as you are told. I will say not more, goodbye!"

Angel dashed out of the hall and into the foyer. That was a very sinister thing she heard her aunt say. Who was out of the way? Did she mean the Royal House of Bourbon? Or perhaps her family? What if it was both? What in the world was that woman plotting?

"Were you eavesdropping?" Aunt Lydia said, charging down the hall right at Angel's heels. Angel turned and saw the talon-like hands of her aunt reach for a handful of her hair and pulled on it.

"Ow! Aunt Lydia!" she squealed.

"What were you doing?" She pulled Angel's hair again. "Speak!"

"Nothing, I was just on my way to tell you I was ready. But you were on the phone and I didn't want to disturb you."

Aunt Lydia narrowed her eyes and let go of Angel's hair. She believed her. "Humph. If I catch you anywhere near my office again..."

"It was my father's office!" Angel shouted. "You took it from him!"

Aunt Lydia slapped Angel hard across the face. "WHAT!?" she shouted. "What are you insinuating, young lady? You think I'm happy about all this? You think I wanted to move in here and take over my brother's property? You think I'm happy that my dear brother is gone? I loved him! More than you or that greedy bitch of a mother you had! TOOK FROM HIM?! You ungrateful, blasphemous, little WHORE! I rescue you from slavery and this is how you repay me? By accusing me of treason!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

Aunt Lydia slapped her again. This time knocking Angel off her feet. She yelped and crumpled to the ground on her knees. "BE SILENT!" Aunt Lydia roared. "I don't want to see you here in this house for the rest of the day, Angel. Get out of my sight! GET OUT!"

Angel whimpered and headed out the door, sobbing.

"GET OUT!" her aunt shouted again.

* * *

* * *

Eren rode his custom MV Augusta down the highways that spiraled around Ryoya City and the country surrounding it. The bike was the last gift his father ever gave him before he was struck down by the Ajax Virus, so it held a special place in his heart. Eren had to sell a lot of his possessions after his father died, but the bike was something he could just not let go of. But Eren didn't think too much about the death. He was happy knowing his father was at peace and watching over him. Now was not the time for tears. Eren just wanted to ride and clear his mind of negativity. One of the things that bothered him was that Felicity still didn't accept his request.

Oh well. Whatever. He just wanted to ride. He loved riding here more than home because the bridges took him across the ocean toward a floating island metropolis where only the elite of the elite lived. There was a toll to get in, and it cost him $10. There went his opportunity to get a new card. But he didn't care. He just wanted to ride. After riding around the streets of the island three times, he rode back to Ryoya, but stopped at a scenic lookout on the bridge the overlooked the ocean. Pity he didn't come here during sunset. The lookout was most famous in the city because it had such a lovely view of the sun setting behind the ocean.

He parked his bike near the railing and breathed in the salty air after taking off his helmet. The ocean breeze made the collar and zippers of his biker jacket flap around.

He would usually have his headphones on while walking the streets during his weekend outings. But they were off and hanging over his neck because he was still trying to get used to the voice coming from the MaltNEXT card of his.

"So you can talk? I'm not dreaming?" he said looking at the ocean below. He smiled when he saw a group of dolphins jumping out of the water.

"No, you are not dreaming. MaltNEXT said. He sounded so young, almost like a teenager. "You are my partner, Eren. It's been decided."

"By who? Oy, you know what? Don't answer that. I don't think I want to know. I've seen this in so many cartoons, but man, I didn't think something like this would happen. Partner? What do you mean partner?"

"Something foul has awoken in this city," MaltNEXT said.

"And let me guess, I'm some chosen god-warrior who must stop it, right?"

"No, idiot. You're not a chosen one. But your assistance is needed to help us quell this evil. Your skills impressed me. A beginner, yet you summoned all those powerful creatures as though you were a veteran. So I chose you. And all you need to do now is duel."

"Sounds fair enough," said Eren. "What is this foul thing you speak of?"

"Some fool named Marcus has been messing around with black magic from the Darkness Civilization. It's up to you, me, and a few others to stop him. We heard about a group of children known as The Big Five. Apparently, they had a hand in dealing with the situation with Widow and the sacred monsters of the temple. Those creatures are the ones who have called us here."

"The Big Five, huh?" Eren said. "Know anything about them?"

"All I know is that they are named Flynn, Trey, Rusty, Luc, and Rebecca."

"Rebecca? Say, she wouldn't be a girl with blue hair, would she?"

"How should I know?" said MaltNEXT.

"I think she was one of them. How's about I take you to her and you can judge for yourself?"

"Excellent. Do you know where she lives?"

"Well, I, uh...eh...no. I don't. But I have an idea of where to start looking."

"Then let us not waste any time, Eren. Let's go."

Eren put his helmet on and sped toward the school where he hoped everyone MaltNEXT was talking about would be at that once specific place.

* * *

School day or not, there was no closing the Burger Barn. Even on weekends, the restaurant was filled to capacity with kids, now more than ever since there was a court built behind the establishment with six dueling tables. And seeing the monsters battling it out surrounded by pine trees and the cool water of the pond nearby was rather calming and charming. Felicity, Rebecca, and Mio were sitting together at a table under the shade of a tree with the umbrella up as well to give them more protection from the sun.

Rebecca was sitting at the edge of the pond with her feet dipped into the water as she was on her phone, earbuds up so she could listen to her music. Mio, however, was in no mood to sit down. After last night's games, she was itching to duel again. And seeing Felicity in her new outfit definitely fueled that urge. She looked so amazing in her new gear, consisting of a hooded jacket colored black and red and a black skirt with red, pink, and white flannel at the bottom. Her hair, once long, wild, and unkempt, was now cut until it was over her shoulders. But she still wore the blue silk ribbon her mother once wore.

Mio looked different when she wasn't wearing party clothes. She looked...tough compared to last night when her hair was curled and decorated with flowers. Now it just kept in a ponytail, which came out from the back of her olive and white baseball cap. She had on a black sweater with the Nature symbol embedded in gold on the left shoulder and a brown skirt with a green and white line near the bottom. Her shapely legs were covered in black thigh-high socks and she sported black and green tennis shoes.

"I want to play you next," said Mio. She flicked open the deck case strapped to her thigh and took out her cards. "Can we, Felicity?"

"Careful, Mio," Phoenix said, patting Felicity's back. "This girl is dangerous. You saw what she did to that loser Vegas last night."

"Speaking of which," Rebecca said. "Did you know they called us out on their forum?"

"No way? Really?" Felicity asked.

"Yeah, they're going to be on our asses for a while so be on the lookout. I don't think we've heard the last of Team Asteroid."

"Bring 'em, on!" said Mio. "I'm not afraid of them."

"Hey!" a young voice called out. "It was Rusty. He was sprinting toward them, waving his arm to get their attention.

"What's he doing here all alone?" said Mio.

Phoenix giggled. "I offered to watch him for the afternoon. His parents are out of town and Trey's at soccer practice." Rusty hugged Phoenix and she patted his back. "Hey, bud, how are you?"

"Doing great," said Rusty. "Oh! You remember that theme deck I wanted to get? Well, I finally got it!" He held up a deck case colored black and trimmed with glossy metallic red with a rainbow-reflective pattern.

"You did!" Phoenix said. She took the deck from his hand and examined it. "Oh, wow, you did! How? Baby, that thing costs like $400!"

"I know. I saved up all summer to get it. Wanna try to go up against it?"

"Aww, you know I would. But this is the only table we've got and all the others are full. So why don't we wait for Felicity and Mio to finish their duel and then we can play?"

"Sounds good to me," said Rusty. "Hey, there, Felicity."

"Hey, Rusty. Been good?"

"Yeah. I'm just itching to try out my deck. So, I'm kind of hoping your match with Mio is quick."

"We'll see who gets the quick victory here," said Mio. "Ready, Felicity?"

Felicity got up and took her deck out of its case. "Born ready. Let's do this."

Their shields went up in front of them.

"I'll start first," Mio declared. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," Felicity said.

"All right, I tap one mana and summon Matsurida Wasshoi!"

Felicity almost cringed at the odd design of the horse monster, wearing eastern garbs and had hair formed into an afro. It seemed hard for her to believe that Mio's creature came from the same game. Since she first started playing, Felicity was used to seeing powerful, strong, majestic, and even beautiful monsters. But that thing was just hideous and cartoony.

"Hopefully, I have something that can get rid of that," said Felicity. "I tap one mana and summon Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!" Her female version of the popular fire monster soared down from the treetops and stopped over the field. She giggled and held up two fingers for victory.

"My turn," Mio declared. "I tap two and cast Faerie Life. Now I add the top card of my deck into the mana zone. "Go, Felicity."

Felicity drew her card. "I tap two and summon Branca, Protection Soldier!" She summoned a very round and stout lizard creature with yellow scales and a white underbelly. He was carrying metal parts on his back, which hardly weighed him down, and he had junk parts from armor left behind by fallen Armored Dragons covering him, almost as if he were pretending to be one of them. "Deadly Fighter Braid Claw will attack your shield," said Felicity.

The girl cheered and sprinted across the blacktop. She jumped up toward one of the shields and used the claws on her gauntlet to slash it in half.

"You've activated a Shield Trigger," said Mio. "Aures, Spirit Knight." A totem decorated with gold and pink lotus flowers formed in front of Mio as if born from the scattered remains of the shield pieces left behind. "When this creature is put on the battle zone, I can add a card from the top of my deck to the mana zone. You done?"

"Yeah, that's all I can do," said Felicity.

"All right, I draw. I tap four and summon Popple, Flowerpetal Dancer!" She summoned a girl with blue hair, a giant purple bow, and purple robes with a gold scepter. "Now, Aures, Spirit Knight will attack Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!"

The totem and Deadly Fighter Braid Claw took off into the air and battled. Deadly Fighter Braid claw used her sharp gauntlets to try and cut down the wings of the knight. It dodged, and the knight fired lasers from gems on its body. Deadly Fighter Braid Claw dodged them, but then Aures, shot a green laser from a secret compartment on the base of its body and shot Deadly Fighter Braid Claw down.

Rusty balled his fists in excitement. "Oh, wow! I love these new holograms. It's so great that we don't have to participate in tournaments to see them now!"

"I end my turn," said Mio. "Let's see what you got, Felicity."

"I cast the spell, Energy Charger. Now Branca will get +2000 power and since it's a charger, I can add the spell to my mana pool instead of sending it to the graveyard. Now, Branca will attack Aures."

Branca pulled a lever hanging near his shoulder and then a cannon came out from the hunk of metal on his back. The cannon charged and fired, blasting Aures to pieces.

"That'll do it for me," said Felicity.

"Yeah, you bet it will," said Mio. "Instead of attacking with Popple, I'll tap her to use her ability and send the top card of my deck to the graveyard. Now I have just what I need to summon my baby." She kissed her card. "Mua! Come on out, Roaring Great Horn!"

Roaring Great Horn roared from deep within the pine forest and then dashed out of the trees, knocking them down. Rumble generators underneath the ground simulated the monster's tremendous hooves shaking the ground. The hologram was so detailed that every hair on its saggy brown coat moved and even reflected the sunlight, making its body shine. Roaring Great Horn moved his head from side to side and pawed the ground with its hoof. The holograms even simulated the earth being moved around. Roaring Great Horn puffed steam from his nostrils and shook his head from side-to-side to display his horns. Mio giggled and walked to the beast. Because of the solid-vision technology, she could actually touch the hologram and petted it like it was her dog or something.

"I end my turn," said Mio. "You'd better hurry, Felicity. He's a Double Breaker. A couple of turns on the field with him, and you'll be toast in no time."

"We'll just see about that," said Felicity. "I draw! I cast the spell, Volcano Charger. With it, I destroy Popple!"

EEEEEEK! The snow fairy screeched as she was engulfed in flames and turned to cinders.

"No more mana for you. And since my spell is a charger, I add it to my mana zone. Now I'm all caught up, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh yeah," said Rusty. "Now it's time for the big monsters to come out!"

"But first," said Felicity. "Branca will bust another of your shields."

Branca pulled the lever again, this time chain guns came out and peppered Mio's shield with bullets. Bbbrrrrt! The chain guns echoed across the forest.

"You're winning for now," said Mio. "Let's see. I evolve Matsurida into Fighter Dual Fang!"

The evolution symbol flashed green above the strange horse warrior. He grunted and his body began to glow and it started to grow in size until a four-armed humanoid panther warrior with long curved horns on his head took his place. The creature carried a sword that so large it took both his upper arms to carry it. On the right lower arm, he carried a sharp shielded blade made from the bark of the strongest tree in the forest.

"Roaring Great Horn, double break Felicity's shields!" Mio commanded. Roaring Great Horn reared up on his hind legs, roared, and then charged toward Felicity's shields. He stopped in front of them and waved his horns around until they started glowing green. Whoosh! Whoosh! Green blades shot out from his horns and struck the shields.

"Two down!" cheered Mio. "Now Fighter Dual Fang, double break her next two shields!"

Fighter Duel Fang sprinted and when he reached the middle of the blacktop, he jumped up but something intercepted him. A dragon in red and gold armor jumped out from one of the broken shields and pushed Fight Dual Fang back. He grunted irritably and leaped back to Mio's side of the field.

"What's that!?" Mio cried.

"You attacked Batocross Battle, Passion Dragon!" Felicity said happily. "Now that he's summoned, our two monsters must battle."

Fighter Duel Fang readied himself, then both her and Passion Dragon flew towards one another. Fighter Dual Fang was the strong one in this battle, however. At 8000 power, he was more than a match for Felicity's Batocross Battle, Passion Dragon. The dragon blocked Fighter Dual Fang's attacks with his giant gauntlets, but he eventually gave way. His arms uncrossed, exposing his chest. Then Fighter Dual Fang struck his shield-bladed into its gut.

"Grrrraacck!" grunted Passion Dragon. He started glowing and turned into orange orbs of light.

"That battle may have cost me my monster, but at least my shields are safe."

Rusty was having the time of his life. He was squirming around on Phoenix's lap, pumping his fists up and down in the air. "Aww, man! This is so cool! I can't wait for my turn!"

"My turn," said Felicity. "Phew, that was a close one."

"Yeah, I would have taken you down to one shield that turn," said Mio. "Oh, well. I guess I'll finish you off next turn."

"Cocky much?" Felicity said. She drew her card. "Guess I'm going to have to give you a spanking you won't forget."

"Oooo, don't hurt me now," said Mio.

Phoenix clapped her hands. "Girls, come on. Let's keep it PG. We've got a twelve-year-old here."

"Hey, I've heard worse stuff at school," said Rusty. He laughed and urged Felicity to summon something big.

"You want big, you got big," said Felicity. "I tap four and summon Evo Lupia!" An orb of light, colored yellow, red, and blue formed over Felicity's head, and out from it flew a firebird with multicolored feathers. His blue feathers flowed like water, the yellow sparked like lighting, and the red ones were blazing like flames.

"Hey, that's not big!" laughed Rusty.

"All in due time, buddy," said Felicity. "Evo Lupia's ability activates. I draw a card and now I can evolve him with a creature from my hand that costs five or less. Evo Lupia! Become Soulupiarage, Phoenix Dragon Knight!"

Her firebird flapped its wings and it started to glow bright orange. The light grew in size and the little firebird was replaced by a red dragon with rocky flesh, flaming wings. Indigo and gold armor pieces decorated various parts of its body.

"What do you think, Rusty?" Felicity asked.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" he shouted.

Felicity winked. "This is only the beginning. Get ready, Mio. I'm about to clobber your shields. Soulupiarage, Phoenix Dragon Knight, attack!" Her dragon snorted steam from his nostrils. He snarled like an alligator and flapped his wings, taking off into the sky and soaring towards Mio's shields. Felicity then pulled him off the table and his body started to glow yellow until he became nothing more than a glowing silhouette.

"What happened to him!" shouted Mio.

"It's a Revolution Change," Felicity explained. "I can switch him with a card from my hand called a Revolutionary. All I've got to do is activate it when a monster with the right conditions is tapped or is attacking. I summon Dogiragon Nova, Blue Guardian Deity!"

The light then turned into a beautiful four-legged armored dragon resembling a horse almost. It had a glowing orange mane that looked like fire when it rippled in the wind. A golden shield with white and orange accents hovered by its side and it carried a uniquely-shaped sword in its mouth. A royal blue cape flung behind him, clasped by brooches on his neck.

"Triple break!" Felicity shouted.

"Say what!" Mio cried.

Dogiragon soared towards Mio's shields and used the sword he carried in his mouth to demolish her three shields. Someone was clapping behind Felicity. She turned around and saw Eren standing behind her, leaning against his motorcycle.

"Nice play!" he said.

"Oh no, not him," said Felicity.

"Great," Rebecca groaned. "Just great."

"You play so well!" he said.

"Cool motorcycle!" Rusty said, getting off of Phoenix's lap and running over to check it out.

"Thanks, squirt," Eren said. He held up his hand and gave Rusty a high-five. "I hear you're the little brother of Trey, the captain of the soccer team."

"Yeah, but I'm the better duelist," Rusty bragged. "Sweet bike, man! Wow, is that red neon?"

"Yeah, installed it myself a while ago." He focused back on Felicity and her dragon. "Felicity. Damn, girl, when did you get an awesome monster like that? And one so...so graceful. Heh, I'm not surprised. A beautiful monster for a beautiful girl."

"You're such a charmer," Felicity said sarcastically.

"I thank you," said Eren, who either didn't know or didn't care about her sarcasm. "Wow, and I'm loving the new look. You did your hair, too."

Felicity held up her arms timidly and examined herself. "Well, thank you," she said. She turned her attention back on the duel. "I'm not through, Mio. My dragon's second ability now activates. Final Revolution. I reveal the top four cards of my deck and if any of them are creatures that cost six or less, I can put them on the battle zone. The rest are sent to the bottom of my deck." She drew her cards and smiled. She put the two unusable cards into her graveyard and summoned the two monsters the met the requirements to be summoned with Dogiragon's Final Revolution ability.

"I summon Bolzard Dragon and Bolmeteus Musha dragon on the field!" Felicity declared.

Her monsters flew down from the sky and formed a line in front of Felicity, creating a very intimidating and dazzling display. Rusty swooned and held his hands over his face. "Oooooooo! So many dragons!" he squealed. "I love this game, man!"

"Yeah, that's an impressive lineup," said Mio. "But will it be enough? I tap three and summon Leaping Tornado Horn. Then I evolve it into Niofa, Horned Protector!"

The uni-horned horse transformed into a four-legged beast crowed with a very beautiful and large display of horns inlaid with multi-colored gems. It was taller than Roaring Great Horn and Fighter Dual Fang combined, with its horns protruding from even the forest canopy.

"A row of Double Breakers," said Phoenix. "Damn, Felicity, if you've got nothing to counter this move, summoning all those dragons would have been for nothing."

"No. I have one last defense," Felicity whispered.

"Roaring Great Horn, attack!" shouted Mio.

Her mighty beast bellowed with a battle cry and charged across the field. He then broke her two shields with his horn blade attack. Then, it was Niofa's turn to attack. It was so big that it took one step to get to Felicity's shields. The giant horned beast fired lasers from the gems inlaid in its horns and shattered them.

"Fighter Dual Fang, Todome Da!" Mio declared.

Just as Fighter Dual Fang was about to reach her, Dogiragon flew in and parried Fighter Dual Fang's giant sword with his. The dragon then pushed Dual Fang off and knocked him back. He jumped kicked himself back up and charged to attack Dogiragon. They circled each other, striking one another's swords. But in the end, Dogiragon was the stronger beast and prevailed.

"I block with Dogiragon," Felicity said. "I'm safe. Oh, did I forget to mention he untaps at the end of the turn?"

"I guess not," said Mio. "Oh well. I'll beat you next time."

"Thanks for the great match, Mio. Bolzard Dragon, Todome Da!"

Bolzard Dragon soared towards her and struck Mio with his blades, knocking her on her butt.

"Oh, ow!" she said. "Easy there, Bolzard."

The dragon laughed at her and then vanished along with the other holograms. Rebecca took her feet out of the pond and put her shoes back on after she dried them to join her friends, who were gathering around Felicity's table.

"Awesome!" Rusty called out. "Felicity! That was great! You and me next time!"

"Sure, I'm up for that!" Felicity said.

Rusty looked around for Phoenix. "Phoenix, you ready!? Phoenix?"

She was on the phone with someone. "Oh, I would, Rusty, but I've got to take this. It's the manager of the card shop I applied to."

"Aww, but you promised!" Rusty groaned.

"I know, Rusty, but this is important."

"But..."

"Hey, hang on, hang on," said Eren. "I'll duel you, squirt."

"Me and you?" Rusty said. "You mean you duel?"

"Of course? What kind of mook comes to this city and doesn't duel? Say, why don't we make things interesting?"

"I'm listening," Rusty said.

"Let's start with the match with ten mana. That way we can bring the big guys out in no time, huh? Oh, and to make things even more fun. Let's play with ten shields instead of five."

"You're on!" Rusty said, his eyes flashing brightly with excitement. "Man, you're so cool! We should duel more often."

"I can't believe you'd do that for me, Eren?" Phoenix said. "Oh, thank you, Eren, I owe you one."

"Hey, it's no big deal. You can just date me and we'll call it even." Phoenix frowned, flicked him off, and walked into the forest to get some privacy. Eren shrugged. "Or not."

"You really need to grow up," said Rebecca. "Oh, Felicity. A word of warning for next time. Never duel with this guy standing behind you. I was keeping an eye on him and his focus wasn't on the monsters. He was looking up your skirt as it flapped around when the monsters attacked."

"Say what!?" Felicity cried.

Eren took no shame in being caught. He just flashed his arrogant smile. "I must say, I'm flattered to know you were thinking about me, Felicity. That's very sweet. How did you know blue was my favorite color?"

"Oh, you pervert!" Felicity stuck her nose in the air. "Hmph! I'm getting an ice cream!" she said marching off.

Eren laughed as she left. "Damn. I hate seeing her go, but I love, love, looove watching her leave. Come on, Rusty, let's duel."

"Sweet!" Rusty said, calling dibs on Felicity's table.

"Just who does that guy think he is?" Mio asked as she was huddled with Rebecca.

"I don't know," Rebecca replied. "But if Luc were here, he would..."

"Excuse me, ladies," Eren said coming up from behind them.

Both girls paused and made awkward expressions, and stuttered when they felt his fingers pinching their butts, causing them to scoot away to let him through.

He sulked across the field and made it to his table and set his deck down. "Hey, you ladies going to watch?"

"I have to," said Rebecca. "Rusty's taken a liking to you. I don't like that one bit. You're a bad influence. Now don't talk to me. Jerk."

"Rough crowd," said Eren with a chuckle. "Ladies always love playing hard to get. Okay, Rusty. You can go first, buddy."

"Thanks, man!" Rusty said and drew. "I summon Cocco Lupia!" he said, summoning a little firebird with a big sword on its back. It chirped happily while floating down to the field and hovering over Rusty's shields. "When he's out on the battle zone, all my Dragons cost two less to summon. Your turn."

"Good move," said Eren. "I'll summon a fire bird of my own. Totto Pipicchi." He placed his card on the table then two gold-feathered firebirds with goggles on their head came soaring down and flew in circles around Eren's shields.

"So pretty," said Mio.

"Don't compliment him, Mio," Rebecca said. "Don't stroke his ego."

"Now it's my turn," Rusty said. "I summon Bolshack Dragon!"

Out from a portal of orange light flew Rusty's signature creature. Bolshack Dragon flew around the blacktop in circles before landing behind Rusty. He held out his arms and roared. "Then I attack your shield with Cocco Lupia!" Rusty said and tapped his card. The little fire bird used magic to make his sword come out of the sheathe on his back. He grabbed the handle with his beak, then flew to Eren's shield and broke it.

"Oh, nice," said Eren. "Things are getting good. I summon my own Bolshack Dragon."

His own Bolshack Dragon emerged from an extravagant glyph since he was from the Golden Best Series.

"And thanks to Totto Pipicchi, Bolshack Dragon, and all of my other dragons don't get summoning sickness, so he's free to attack this turn. Go Bolshack Dragon, double break!"

Bolshack Dragon flapped his wings and took flight with one bound He circled around Rusty's shields and broke two of them by launching a fireball from his mouth. "I end my turn," said Eren.

"Draw!" Rusty yelled. "I activate my spell! Hyperspatial Ryusei Hole! Now I can summon a Psychic water, fire, or nature creature with a cost of seven or less from my Hperspatial Zone. Come forth! Ryusei Kaiser, the Victorious!"

Rusty's monster jumped out of what looked like a black hole that formed in the sky. He was a four-legged dragon armored in blue scales with a white underbelly. He had only one black wing. Where the left wing was supposed to be, there was an appendage glowing molten orange with a flaming orange sword attached to it.

"Turn end!" 

"You're not going to attack with Bolshack?"

"Nah!" Rusty held up his fist. "I'm having such a good time. Even with ten shields, I don't want this match to end too soon. So I'll let you build up your defenses for now." 

Eren chuckled, finding Rusty's cockiness to be somewhat enjoyable. "I want to see what else you've got, too, squirt. So I'll hold out on summoning my best creatures and end my turn, by attacking two more of your shields with Bolshack Dragon!"

Eren's dragon activated the jet engines on his back. He then rocketed acrosst he black top. He used his legs to break to a stop and then used his flaming claws to shatter Rusty's shields.

"Good duel, Rusty," Eren said.

"And it's going to get so much better, Eren! I summon Neo Bolshack Dragon!"

Rusty slapped the card down with all his might and summoned another Bolshack Dragon, but this one was larger and had blue armor accented with orange-gold trimming. His flames were colored blue as well and his head was crowned with tall horns.

"Now it's my Bolshack Dragon's turn to attack!" said Rusty. "Go! Break his shields!"

Bolshack shot two fireballs from its mouth, burning Eren's shields to a crisp.

"Ryusei Kaiser, the Victorious, attack his Bolshack Dragon!" shouted Rusty.

Ryusei Kaiser and Bolshack Dragon roared at each other then they flew at great speed to lock themselves in combat. Ryusei slashed his sword around and Bolshack leaped from left to right to avoid it until he was eventually struck down by the blade. He howled and exploded.

"Okay, okay, not bad, kid. Not bad," said Eren. "I cast Hyperspatial Shooting Hole. With this, I can put a Psychic Creature that has a cost of 9 or less into the battle zone. I call on Gaial Kaiser! Appear!"

A black hole opened above Eren and from it jumped dragon armored in red with gold filigree designs with flaming blades coming out of his gauntlets.

"My turn is over," said Eren. "Attack me, Rusty."

"You bet I will!" Rusty declared. I tap seven and evolve Bolshack Dragon into Bolshack Ulpheus, Holy Dragon!"

Bolshack Dragon's armor started glowing bright like the sun, and then he transformed into a warrior in golden armor with flaming wings. His gauntlets and chest plate were shaped like Bolshack Dragon's head and he carried a double-bladed trident staff.

"Now you're in for it, Eren! Neo Bolshack Dragon and Bolshack Ulpheus will attack and destroy four of your shields."

Eren smiled and waited for the two dragons to begin their onslaught. Neo Bolshack Dragon smashed two shields with his fists, which he coated in neon blue flames. Then Bolshack Ulpheus swooped in and destroyed the other two with his lance.

"I was hoping you'd do that," said Eren.

"Uh oh? A shield trigger?" Rusty asked.

"Nope. But Gaial Kaiser's ability activates. When my shields are broken, I can look at them, and then I put them in my graveyard instead of my hand. Then, I can put Psychic creatures from my Hyperspatial Zone to the field that cost the same as the cards I discarded. Now I call on Boost Crimson Lord and Dragonic Pippi!"

Two more black holes opened over Eren's table and from them emerged two creatures. One of them was a little firebird dressed in armor from outer space and the second was a white saber-toothed great cat in gold armor with a giant blade cloaked in fire growing out of its head.

"I've still got Cocco Lupia to break one more shield!" said Rusty.

"Don't count on it," said Eren. "One of the four shields you broke was this card. Tornado Flame. Your little fire bird is toast."

Eeeeee! The little creature shrieked when it was sucked into a flaming vortex.

"Now, it's my turn," Eren said. "I tap seven and summon my man, MaltNEXT, Super Battle Dragon Edge!"

MaltNEXT came out of a cyclone of orange, blue, and green flames, then he stretched his arms out to put out the cyclone and reveal himself. Per his effect, Eren was allowed to bring out a Dragheart Weapon from the Hyperspatial Zone. Gaiheart Galaxy Sword, which gave MaltNEXT the ability of speed attacker.

"I still have lots of shields, left!" said Rusty.

Eren chuckled. "Oh, the joys of being a kid. Your shields won't matter anymore because I have Gaial Kaiser, Boost, Crimson Lord, and Dragonic Pippi together, I can perform a Psychic Link. My cards will link together and flip over to become a Psychic Super Creature. Behold, Rusty, the game changer himself. Gaial King Dragon, Raging Dragon Lord!"

The blacktop cracked opened. Lava poured out as well as flames. And then jumped a massive four-legged red dragon spiked with swords and horns and long wings. Gaial King drew a crowd of onlookers, who stopped what they were doing to watch the Psychic Super Creature in action. His tail was almost as long as he was and was spiked at the end.

"Oh wow!" said Rebecca. "I've never seen one of those before!"

"He's good," said Mio. "Really good!"

"Wow, Eren, he's so cool!" Rusty said. "Trade for it?"

Eren laughed. "No thanks, man. I'm keeping him. And you'll see just why. Also, thanks to Totto Pipicchi, my new dragon gets speed attacker. Get ready, Rusty, this is going to get nasty. I attack all of your shields with Gaial King Dragon, Raging Dragon Lord's world breaker ability."

"World Breaker?" Rebecca said.

"Yeah, it means he can destroy all of an opponent's shields!" said Mio.

"And not only that," said Eren. "When he attacks, all of your monsters who have less power than he does get destroyed!"

Gaial charged across the blacktop then conjured a wave of fire that turned all of Rusty's Monsters into cinders in a mere matter of seconds. Then, he bathed the earth in fire and melted all of Rusty's shields.

"Burst Shot!" said Rusty, activating his Shield Trigger. And with it, he destroyed Eren's fire bird. But what good would that do him? Once MaltNEXT attacked, the duel was over. He gasped.

"MaltNEXT!" shouted Eren. "Todome Da!"

His warrior flew towards Rusty, who braced himself. He then looked up and a flaming **V** formed on his forehead and his eyes started glowing like fire. All of a sudden, Bolshack Dragon appeared on the field and grabbed MaltNEXT by the wrist.

"What the hell is all this?" Eren gasped.

"Rusty..." Rebecca whispered. "What's happened to you?"

Mio scratched her head in confusion. "Is that flaming thing on Rusty's forehead part of the holographic systems or what?"

"You tell me," said Rebecca. "I've never seen him do that before."

Phoenix came back to join them and Felicity arrived as well with an ice cream cone in hand. Both she and Phoenix were surprised to see the huge Psychic Super Creature on the field and the Bolshack Dragon, whose appearance still needed an explanation.

"What's going on, Rusty?" Eren asked.

"I have a card in my hand who is about to change things for me!" said Rusty. "It's called a Revolution, just like Felicity's awesome dragon. But first, the conditions must be just right. First, I must have no shields. If that's the case then I draw a card from the top of my deck. If it's a non-evolution creature, I get to summon it. And by chance, it was another Bolshack Dragon. But this one's different. See? He's a spell, too. Isn't that cool, Eren?"

"Say, that is pretty neat. And that's one lucky draw if you ask me."

"Yeah, a draw that paves the road to victory! Once that creature is on the field, I can evolve it with the creature who started all of this. Bolshack Dragon! Evolve now!" Suddenly, Bolshack Dragon started glowing and he changed into another creature with huge crimson armor accented with gold and silver and blue glowing spikes. Everyone watching their match went silent and gasped. Rusty held out his hand and shouted. "Appear! Bolshack Dogiragon!"

"Bolshack Dogiragon?" said Eren. "Whoa, far out, Rusty!"

"Thanks! And when he's put on the battle zone, he and one of your monsters must battle. Bolshack Dogiragon! Attack MaltNEXT Super Battle Dragon Edge."

Bolshack Dogiragon and MaltNEXT had an intense fight in the air. They zoomed around until they looked like blurs and punched over a hundred times a second. MaltNEXT used his Dragheart Weapon to fight. It was a good effort, but not good enough. Dogiragon was much stronger. He eventually punched MaltNEXT in the stomach, grabbed him by the neck, and choke-slammed him to the ground, causing him to explode. The blast created a fierce gust that sent clouds of dirt scattering all around. Everyone screamed and covered their faces with their arms, backpacks, books, anything they could get a hold of.

"And that's that!" said Rusty. "My turn." The V on his head grew bigger until it protruded over his head like antennae. "Draw!" he shouted. Fire consumed his hand and the card. "I cast my spell! Hyperspatial Ryusei Hole. I bring a Psychic monster from the Hyperspatial Zone to the battle zone. Appear! Gaial Kaiser, the Victorious! And next, I cast Hyperspatial Faerie Hole and call on another one. Prin Prin, the Victorious!"

He summoned a dragon warrior with orange armor and two arms equipped with long blades, and a girl with long purple hair wearing black Lolita clothes and carrying a black umbrella. She blew a kiss to the world and stood by Rusty.

"Now the conditions are set!" Rusty shouted. "Psychic Link! Gaial Kaiser! Ryusei Kaiser, Prin Prin, Link yourselves and become the great beast. Gaial Ore Dragon, the Vainglory! Use your speed attacker ability and battle Eren's Gaial King!"

Rusty's three cards switched horizontally then flipped over to reveal the beast on the back of their cards. Prin Prin's necklace turned into the centerpiece of the rainbow headdress of horns and steel on its head. Gaial Ore stood on four legs and had a long tail with a sword at the end. Gaial Ore and Gaial King circled each other, snarling, roaring, and swinging their tails around.

They pounced toward each other wrestled around and clawed at their faces. Gaial Ore eventually headbutted Gaial King, who teetered back a bit, exposing his chest. At that moment, Gaial Ore stabbed Gaial King in the chest, destroying him.

"Wow, Rusty!" Felicity said. "That's incredible!"

"And it gets even better," said Rusty. "When he wins a battle, Gaial Ore untaps. Then, you pick up two of your shields and add them to your hand.

"WHAT THE!? NO WAY!" Eren shouted.

Rusty pointed at the open field. "You're exposed, Eren. Bolshack Dogiragon! Attack him and end the match! Todome Da!"

Bolshack Dragon flew in for the final strike, punching Eren's spot with all his might and knocking him flat on his back. Rusty jumped up high, right above his table. He cheered as his two dragons roared victoriously before they vanished.

"Good job, Rusty!" Rebecca said clapping. "Way to show that pervert who's the boss!"

"You need some help there, Casanova?" Felicity asked and helped Eren back on his feet.

"You helped me?" Eren asked. "I'm touched, Felicity thank you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Felicity said. "It's no..." She frowned feeling his fingers slither under her skirt and pinching her left buttock.

POW! Felicity conked him hard on the head, knocking him to the ground.

"OOOF!" Eren shouted.

"Stay in the mud, pig," Felicity said stomping away. "Excuse me for being nice."

"Totally worth it," Eren moaned in agony. "It feels like the world has turned upside down."

He heard the sound of a girl sniffling from nearby. He shook the cobwebs from his head and stood up. He spotted Angel crying alone on a bench. "Aww, what's wrong," he said. He hurried towards her and offered her a tissue from his pocket. "You okay?" he asked.

"No," Angel whimpered. "I've been having problems at home."

"Well, I know no better cure for a sour face than some ice cream. Care for some? The Burger Barn sells the best ice cream in town."

Angel sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. She then smiled and said: "That would be very nice. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Eren said, holding out his hand. "The name's Eren."

"I'm Angel."

"You are?" Eren said. "Wow! What a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"The fall when you fell from heaven, gorgeous."

"Stop it," Angel said blushing.

"Hey, I got you to smile," Eren said. He helped her off the bench. "Lead the way," he said, extending his arm toward the barn.

"Thank you," Angel said. She stopped and went red when she felt something squeezing her bottom. "Ahhhhh," she whimpered.

"Nice and soft," Eren said. "Do you work out a lot, Angel?"

Rebecca reached them at lighting speed and conked Eren hard with her fist. "Stay away from her, Eren!" she shouted.

MaltNEXT grumbled in Eren's pocket. "Idiot..." he said.

Rebecca stomped him on the foot and Eren went howling away, hopping up and down.

"Sorry we couldn't help you earlier," said Rebecca. "Stay away from this guy."

"Yeah, he's a real charmer," said Felicity. "What happened, Angel? Why are you crying?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Angel said. "Let's just forget about it."

Rusty approached her and squeezed her hand. "But the best thing to do when you're feeling sad is to talk about your problems," he said.

"I know," said Angel. "But I don't want to right now. Please."

"Respect her wishes, guys," said Mio. "If Angel doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't have to."

"The girl has a right to her secrets," Eren said, lifting himself off the ground as though the assault he took on his foot never happened.

"We weren't asking you!" snapped Rebecca.

"Yeah, get lost, Eren," said Mio.

"It's for the best," said Phoenix. "Eren, you're a good duelist, but, man, you really need to grow up."

"I don't even know the meaning of the phrase," he said, chuckling like a goof. "But I don't want to get my toes crushed again, so I'll go ahead and make myself scarce. Yo, Felicity, I hope that duel on Monday is still on."

"You bet it is," Felicity said. "And I don't plan to lose so don't go making any reservations, Eren. You're going down. Oh, um, Rusty. You left your stuff at the duel table. Don't ever do that. Someone might take your things."

"Oh, snap!" Rusty said. He ran back to the table while Felicity and the others took Angel to the restaurant to buy her something to eat. Just as he got to the table, he felt a raindrop chill his forearm. He looked to the sky and noticed storm clouds overhead. "Aw, great," he said. "I can't wait for all this stormy weather to go."

"Nice little trick you pulled back there," Marcus said, leaning against a tree nearby.

"Marcus!" Rusty said. "Hey, you need to stay away from me! Trey said I can't talk to you anymore. "

"Trey?" Marcus scoffed. "Ha! Trey's just another loser ready to be crushed."

"I've heard things about you, Marcus. They say you've been hurting people."

"Only the truly weak," said Marcus. "Duel Masters is a game meant only for the truly gifted to play. Me and the gangs from the Darkness clans are making sure of that. Separating the wheat from the chaff, you know?"

"You've got to stop hurting people, Marcus."

"If they give up being duelists, I'll have no need to hunt them down and hurt them. There's a war coming, Rusty. You don't want to be on the losing side. I noticed your new little power trip during your duel with Eren. Victory Mode. I've heard stories about a couple of duelists who can use that ability. I'm jealous of you, Rusty. The power to change the tide of battle if you have just the right amount of faith in your deck. You're strong, Rusty. I've always said you were. And you never disappoint me. Join me, Rusty. Amazing things are about to happen. I can help you."

"You can't help anyone!" said Rusty. "Don't ever talk to me again!"

"Be that way, then. My offer still stands, Rusty. I hope you make the right choice. I know she will, too."

"Felicity?"

"Yeah. And your new pal, Eren."

"Leave them alone!"

"Oh no. I can't do that. They have what I'm looking for. The gift. And I assure you, Rusty, their gifts will be coming to the right side of this battle. You will, too." He saluted Rusty. "You have a nice weekend, champ. See you around."


	8. The Council of Five

* * *

Luc found himself all alone, wandering through some dark unknown plane. A world of darkness, stretching off as far as he could see. Only a small radius of light around him broke the dark. But what did that matter? He was alone. There was no one around him. Until he heard a whooshing sound above him that sent of gust of cold wind around Luc. He was dressed in his pajamas, which did very little to combat the cold. He shivered and heard a voice that sounded familiar.

"Follow me," it said.

"Illium?" Luc said. He checked his pocket, which for some reason, contained his deck. There in front of the card was Illium, Electric Guardian. The creature he had to piece together two years ago. He looked up and saw the flying metallic monster that resembled a spaceship.

"This way," Illium said. "We are running late."

"Late for what?" Luc asked. "Where are we?"

"This way," Illium said again. He soared toward something a beam of lighting shining down on someone. Rebecca. She was looking around, scared and confused. She was shivering in a pink night gown.

"Rebecca!" Luc called.

He ran towards her, waving his arm to hopefully get her to notice him. As he got closer, he heard what sounded like a whale calling. He stopped when he saw the outline of a huge creature looming over her. It looked like a whale with two huge horns on the side of its head based with gold. Luc instantly recognized the creature as Rebecca's legendary creature, King Ambergris.

Once King Ambergris took his spot over Rebecca, she turned and saw Luc with Illium flying above him. "Luc!" she said. They both ran towards each other and hugged.

"Are you okay? What is this?" Luc asked.

"I don't know. King Ambergris told me to follow him and here I am."

"Same with me," said Luc.

"Glad I'm not the only one who's not dreaming this," Trey said coming out of the darkness with Rusty holding his hand. "You guys are here, too?" Trey asked.

Just then something jumped out from behind him and landed in the light. Gor, Primal Hunter, which was Trey's legendary creature. Then a monster with orange-yellow glowing accents rode out of the shadows on a giant wheel, which was in place of his legs. He was a bearded humanoid carrying a blazing ax and protected in thick armor glowing red. Bad Axe Norskyler, the creature Rusty had to battle years ago.

"Rusty, you doing well, laddie?" Norskyler asked.

"Yeah," Rusty replied. "But what's going on here."

"That's what I'd like to know," Flynn said, walking towards his friends with his legendary creature, the ghoulish phantom, Phlael, Shadow of Betrayal, flying over him. The chains clutching his spiked ball squeaked and rattled eerily.

"Hey, you're all here!" someone said, running out of the darkness.

"EREN!" shouted Rebecca. She crossed her arms over her chest, for the nightgown didn't cover much and then she hid behind Luc. "Ugh, some dream. If he's here, then this must mean it's a nightmare."

Grrrrr, snarled King Ambergris. "It's you! The fool who had the nerve to touch my master! I warn you, boy, put a finger on her, and I'll sweep you away!"

"You're not one of us, anyway" said Flynn. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"More importantly, why are you here?" said Trey.

"He's here because of me!" MaltNEXT said.

He rose out of the ground and stood behind Eren. He looked around, pleased with the gathering. The five legendary duelists and their creatures were lined up in a circle with their monsters looming over their shoulders.

Now the meeting could go underway.

"Many greetings, Norskyler, King Ambergris, Illium, Gor, and Phlael, Guardians of the Earth. I am MaltNEXT, a Draguner of the Fire Civilization. It is an honor to be in your presence. Rusty. I thank you for giving me the names of your friends. It is because of you that we can have this council. Many thanks."

"Uh, you're welcome," said Rusty.

"Rusty?" his four friends all said together.

"You told him about us?" Rebecca asked. "When?"

"After Eren and I had our duel. After...after Marcus talked to me, Eren came down and showed me his cool MaltNEXT card. Uh...you wouldn't believe my surprise when he started talking to me. He asked me about the five legendary creatures and the master duelists worthy enough to use them. And after a few burgers and a soda, I told him all about you guys. I guess we're all here in this place because of MaltNEXT."

"Yes," said MaltNEXT. "This boy is Eren. I have chosen him to be my duelist."

"You could have chosen someone better," said Rebecca. "This jerk has no respect when it comes to girls."

Eren chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "What? Come on, Rebecca. It's just instinct. I see a nice butt, I have to grab it. You should take it as a compliment."

"BE SILENT!" shouted MaltNEXT. "If it wasn't for your skill in the game, I would have nothing to do with you."

"There are better, more honorable players in the city, sir," said Rebecca. "Please reconsider your decision and find someone else."

"I am aware of his dishonorable behavior. And I apologize if he offended you, miss." MaltNEXT bowed. "But I am destined to be with this boy. I felt a link with him the moment I came into this world looking for a master. And the legendary Bolshack Dragon has shown a liking to him as well."

"Augh, there really is no justice in this world," Rebecca said. "Favored by this great creature and the mighty Bolshack Dragon? I am appalled."

"It is what it is," said Gor. "Does the boy have skill?"

"He has show great skill at the game," said MaltNEXT.

"Some skill," said Rusty. "You should have seen how I mopped the floor with him."

"O' aye!" said Norskyler. "My boy, destroyed him yesterday. But is that at all surprising?"

"I was close," said Eren. "If that...that...flame didn't come out of your head, I would have beaten you with MaltNEXT."

"Enough!" hissed Phlael. "This is getting us nowhere. All this squabbling and the purpose of this council has not been declared. Flynn, let us be off. This is such a waste of time."

"It is a waste of time," Flynn agreed. "But color myself intrigued. I still want to hear what MaltNEXT has to say."

"So be it," Phlael snarled. "Speak MaltNEXT. Why have you brought us all together tonight?"

"We need skilled duelists to help battle the boy Marcus," said MaltNEXT. "He somehow has been given knowledge concerning the forbidden black arts of the Darkness Civilization. And with it, he's gained the power to use the monster spirits in his cards to attack and hurt people all over the city where you live. And to make matters worse, Marcus is using this power to gather followers. Those who side with him are given the ability to summon their own monsters to wreak havoc. In the short months since he acquired this skill, he has built himself an army, for what purpose, I do not know, nor do I care. Enough is enough. He MUST be stopped."

"I knew it!" Trey said. "I just knew it!"

"I can't believe this," said Rebecca. "Marcus has hit another low with this. Some of the people hurt in the attacks are in the hospital."

"So let's do something about it," snarled King Ambergris.

"Yes!" thundered Illium. "It is time for us to be called to battle again!"

"Honorable MaltNEXT," said Luc. "Can you find out who it that gave Marcus that knowledge?"

"Yes, I do," said MaltNEXT. "For generations, we have spoken of a prophesy that has been told since the end of the Great Kaijudo Wars that took place in the first age of mankind."

"Kaijudo Wars?" gasped Rusty.

"That's right, laddie," said Norskyler. "Nasty business that was. You see, during that time, some loon with the knowledge of the forbidden arts learned how to control the monsters without the requirement of being a Kaijudo Master. But it is a dark ritual. One of pain, blood, and death. Not even the most foul-hearted creatures of the Darkness Civilization dare dabble with it. Even Ballom himself dared not speak of its magic. In fact, he forbid the practice of this dark art. Under pain of death."

"That's saying a lot," said Phlael. "It takes a lot to make even Master Ballom's spine tingle."

"Ballom likes to manipulate the people of this world," said Gor. "But he doesn't hurt them. It is against our ethics. But whoever taught this boy, this Marcus, the art of the Blood Summoning is truly a monster."

"Blood Summoning?" gulped Trey. "I already don't like the sound of that."

"No indeed," said MaltNEXT. "So to combat this ancient heathen's army of blood summoners, Galbagaia, the Mother of all Dragons, gifted many strong youths with a powerful weapon to combat them and their creatures. She taught them a way to summon monsters without the need of being a Kaijudo Master as well. These guardians were called Kaijudo Knights."

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in forever," said Illium. "They were the greatest warriors this world had ever seen."

"Yes," said MaltNEXT. "But to learn the skill of summoning meant putting your body and mind to the test. Unlike the Kaijudo Masters, who need to master the game of Duel Masters and achieve enlightenment, Kaijudo Knights were subject to intense training. It was arduous. Backbreaking. Some of the chosen warriors quit their training and left. But there was one among them who pulled through, performing better than all of them combined. So pleased was Galbagaia with this child's strength, that she gave her a blade forged from the armor of an Armored Dragon and the fire from her heart. This brave warrior led the charge and started the great Kaiju Wars, in which human and monster did battle with one another. No one survived the war. Everyone who fought in that conflict perished on the fields of Algranaan, a wasteland of lava and ash that sit on the slopes of a volcano. Not even the warrior Galbagaia chose survived. After the Kaiju Wars ended, the Kaijudo Masters burned all the books and scrolls chronicling the battle or holding knowledge of the art. And Ballom found the Master of the Blood Summoners. He sent him into a rip between the dimensions to wander alone for all eternity."

"Now that's some scary stuff," said Eren. "I guess this Blood Master guy is gone for good, right?"

MaltNEXT looked to the dark sky and sighed. "For thousands of years, you all have lived in peace. But sadly, the time of calm will soon come to an end. For the Master of the Blood Summoners vowed he would return. Galbagaia knew this as well. She had foreseen it. The prophesy declared that one day, a soul with a black heart would bring chaos and despair to the five creatures sealed away in the gates between worlds."

"Our creatures," said Rebecca.

"Correct. And then when they are released into the world, broken, five champions will rise, who would piece them together and control them. But I'm afraid that when Rebecca's aunt, The Widow, messed with the doors connecting our worlds, she was able to open the realm of madness where the Master of the Blood Summoners dwells."

"Oh no!" Rebecca cried. "Aunt Vivian...she..."

"Her meddling with the monsters during the tournament shattered all the doors to this world and the five civilizations," said MaltNEXT. "Including the doors to the prison dimension where Ballom banished the Blood Summon Master."

"That fool!" shouted Gor. "Her lust for power has doomed us all! If the art of Blood Summoning returns, there will be nothing that can stop Marcus. What will become of the people here?"

"There is still hope," said MaltNEXT. "The legend states that when the Blood Summoners return, so will Galbagaia. She will chose one brave soul to take up the blade she gave the ancient champion eons ago. And this time bring an end to the Blood Summoners for good. But until that time comes, we need strong, willing, fighters to accept the training and restore the order of the Kaijudo Knights. The monks from the temple know of the prophecy, and have already begun training a boy named David Kaiser. They believe he is the one the prophecy speaks of."

"David?" said Trey. "No wonder he didn't come to school with us this year."

"Heh," said Luc. "I knew there was something special about that guy."

"Great," said Flynn. "Now I'm never going to hear the end of it from him."

"So you want to bring back these Kaijudo Knights?" Luc asked.

MaltNEXT gave a nod. "I and many others believe that you all should be the ones to take up the blades and defeat the Blood Summoners that Marcus has created until David is ready to claim the weapon forged by Galbagaia."

"This can't be," said King Ambergris. "There was a reason why this art was forbidden. No! No! I will not allow Rebecca to undergo such barbaric training."

"That is up to her to decide," said MaltNEXT.

"Indeed it is," said Rebecca. She turned and looked at Ambergris. "I know you're worried about me, Ambergris. I understand your concern. I know this sounds scary, but I won't sit around and let Marcus hurt people. We have to do something." She turned to look at MaltNEXT. "I accept this burden."

"Rebecca!" said Trey.

"You can't do this alone," said Luc.

"Luc," said Illium. "I know what you're thinking and I beg you to reconsider."

Luc looked at Rebecca and smiled. "Rebecca is my friend. She's not only the nicest person I've ever met, but she's the bravest. I'm not going to let her do this on her own. I'll also accept this mission and help her restore the order. Marcus will be stopped and The Kaijudo Knights will return. Starting with us."

"Then I guess I'm in," said Flynn.

"That's my boy," said Phlael.

"Aww man," said Trey. "And Marcus said he came to you, right, Rusty?"

"Yeah. He said a war was coming up and that I need to be on the winning side."

"Damn it!" said Trey. "Well, what kind of brother will I be if I just let Marcus run around and hurt people with the monsters we all know and love to play with. Duel Masters is fun and I won't let him take that away from us. I'll join as well."

"Me, too!" said Rusty.

"Oh no, laddie!" said Norskyler. "Your heart is huge and your spirit burns like the sun. But you are way too young to undergo the training of the Kaijudo Knights."

"What? Oh, come on! I was good enough to find your pieces, bring you together, and beat you! I can be a Kaijudo Knight!"

"I fear he is right, young one," said MaltNEXT. "The training will be too intense for the likes of you."

"Yeah," said Flynn. "Besides, don't you have that weird power that makes that burning V symbol on your head."

"Aww, this isn't fair!" Rusty pouted.

"I suppose I'm out of this Kaijudo Knight thing, too?" Eren asked.

"You will never be a Kaijudo Knight acting the way you do," said MaltNEXT. "Perhaps if you grow in character, I'll consider you."

"So it's decided," said Gor. "You have your heralds. And hopefully the arrival of this 'chosen' knight comes soon?"

"The monks are confident that the chosen one is David Kaiser. He's already made progress in humiliating the Blood Summoners. And he is being watched over by Knight."

"Knight?" said Rebecca. "You mean he's here!"

"Yes. I suggest you seek him out as soon as possible. Thank you all. May the Mother of Dragons protect you with her love."

All of a sudden, the ground beneath them illuminated bright white. The kids then started to float in the air and they screamed, wondering what in the world was going on. Then there was an intense flash and all turned to darkness.


	9. Duel for a Date

* * *

Rei got to work on forging Kaitlyn's katana from the rusty iron chains she found in the harbor. Her grandfather, who loved surprises from time to time, sat back and watched as she melted the sword down into a molten liquid. All-day he watched her fold the molten metal and hammer it over and over and over again. Then she refolded it again. Rei did not stop. Once she got to work on a sword, she was like a robot, hellbent on finishing it. She had her headphones on to drown out the noise of the hammering and to fill her ears with tranquility, especially during her hardest moments. She could not afford to make a mistake. This sword was to be a gift to her very dear friend. So she aimed to make it the best one she ever forged.

And she couldn't afford to make mistakes in front of her grandfather. He had no patience for mistakes. That meant one clout behind the ear or having her cellphone confiscated for a few days. Once she finished her portion of the sword she was forging and decided to call it a night. She showed her progress to her grandfather, who was very pleased with her work. He gave her a nod and grunted, telling her she was free to leave the workshop and to take a shower. Rei bowed, thanking him for his praise, then hurried upstairs to her room on the upper level above the shop. Her home was an odd abode. Below her quarters was a little shop to sell candies, little toys, cards, and the sort. The backyard was the forge where she and her grandfather made katanas, and right next to the koi pond was a hut where her grandfather lived all by himself, leaving the entire upstairs of the shop all to herself. It wasn't much, but Rei loved how cozy it was. And being so close to the mountains was an added treat. Once Rei closed the shop and locked the doors, she went upstairs to her living quarters.

When the ice-cold water rained down from the stall and soaked her weary body, Rei closed her eyes, smiled, and gasped with relief as a sensation of calm and serenity filled her to her core. She stood there and let the water work its magic on her. Rei grinned as she looked down and admired her body. She was in perfect form thanks to so many years at the forge, training with the katanas themselves, and her morning runs through the mountains. She smiled even more because she loved how water made her skin glossy. Glossy and shiny like a rare card. _I'm a rare card,_ she thought. _No one can have me. None can find me. I'm too precious._ She bent her legs and held her head high so the stall could shoot water at her neck. She then held out her palms to collect the water, and when it pooled up to her fingers, she splashed it against her chest, which stuck to her shirt in the heat. She was so relieved to be free of her sticky, soggy clothes. There was something about being naked that Rei enjoyed very much, especially in the shower. When she was bare, she felt like a beautiful nymph prancing out in the forest like in those ancient Greek portraits. Alone, happy, and free from all the troubles of the world. She was safe in her cool, wet, sanctuary.

There was only one light above the shower that she kept on. Other than that, the whole bathroom was dark and quiet. All the broke the silence was the sound of the water splashing against her skin and on the walls, and the Bushido Lofi playlist playing on her phone.

Bzz! Bzz! She got a text.

Rei groaned. She had just applied her scented lotions on herself, covering her in suds. She didn't want to get out. Bzz! Bzz! Her phone went again. It had a distinct buzz to it to let her know it was Kaitlyn. Rei sighed, turning off the water and wrapping a red towel around herself. She slid the glass door aside and walked to the bathroom counter where her phone lay. The animated background of her and Kaitlyn posing together during an autumn hike a few years ago was the first thing she saw, and it always made Rei smile. She slid her finger up on the screen to see Kaitlyn's messages. The little chain holding on to a chibi Bolbalzak Dragon charm jingled in her gentle grip.

**K: U there?**

Rei groaned and started typing her response. **_I am. What's up?_**

**K: Isn't the festival of the flaming leaves this weekend in ur town?**

Rei answered at once. **_Yeah. U interested in going?_**

**K: Of course, I am. There's going to be lots of prizes and stuff. There's a tag team event going on there, too. Interested in being my partner?**

The question made Rei giggle. As if she really needed to ask such a thing. **_U know it, babe. Say, is Felicity going to be there?_**

**K: Yeah. Rebecca and I invited her over. Why?**

**_R: I think I might want to try my hand against her. She's piqued my interest._ **

**K: I know what you mean. When I first saw her, she had this determination and love for the game.**

***Ding***

**K: Even though she suffered a terrible defeat, she got back on her feet and tried again. I mean, it took a bit of coaxing from the girls, but she's faced her fears. IMO, I think Felicity's become a force to be reckoned with.**

***Ding***

**K: And it's only been a week. She's very talented.**

Rei smirked confidently. **Let's see how talented she is. My Bolbalzak against her Bolzard. This is going to be epic!**

* * *

* * *

Far into the woods of the mountains, we find a small campsite inhabited by a group of four teenage boys. Rex, Gale, Baron, and Corbin. Team Sandā they called themselves, as it seems customary to have a cheesy name for your team these days. They had a fire lit around a ring of stones. Around the fire, they set up logs to sit down on. There was also a tree stump next to the fire, which they used as a table to play Duel Masters. They set up paper playmats over the stump to keep their cards from touching the dirty surface. On a wooden picnic table, supper was cooking on a stove, carefully checked on by a floating robot that served as their butler. Their abode, a red and white camper trailer, stood at the edge of the camp, with an awning over their camping stools.

The four boys gathered around the stump to watch Rex and Corbin duel.

"I set one mana and call it a turn," Corbin said. The fire's light flashed on the lenses of the goggles he wore on his forehead.

The spike-haired Rex smirked then drew. He sported a brown leather jacket with orange accents. He had a plain red neckerchief wrapped around his slender neck. "I set one mana down and call on Zepimeteus. Can you get past my Blocker, Corbin?"

"I tap two and summon Immortal Baron Vorg," Corbin said. "Just wait till next turn, boss."

The boys went silent and focused on an aura behind Corbin. In no time at all, they could see the monster standing right behind him.

"Challenge accepted," Rex said. "I'll set one mana and end my turn."

"Now you're going to get it. I tap three and evolve Immortal Baron Vorg into Divine Machine Machine Valborg. With 5000 points, he's more than a match for your puny submarine. I'll attack."

"And I'll block," said Rex.

"What are you going to do now, boss?" asked Gale, a very tall and stout boy with a dome-shaped hairdo wearing overalls and heavy hiking boots.

"It doesn't look good for ya, Rex," said Baron, who was tall and slender, wearing an outfit with a sort of Wild Western theme to fit his nomadic lifestyle with his friends. He even had a cowboy hat to go along with it.

"Watch and learn, buddy. For now, I tap three and summon Wild Racer Chief Garan. That ends my turn."

"Sorry to have to do this to you, boss, but I cast Phantom Dragon's Flame, which destroys one of your creatures with power 2000 or less. Your motorcycle guy is burned! Now, I'll tap one more mana and call on Deadly Fighter Braid Claw! Finally, it's time to take a whack at your shields. Valborg will double break your shields."

Rex laughed out loud and showed Corbin his shield trigger, Tornado Flame. His friends all howled and laughed at Corbin as he grumbled and put the card into his graveyard.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Rex jeered. "Aw, man, it was priceless. And now you're about to see why I'm in charge. I tap two to cast Crimson Hammer, which destroys you Braid Claw. Next, I tap two to summon Brawler Zyler."

"I'll tap two and summon my own Bralwer Zyler."

Rex's turn. He drew and showed his friends the spell he was about to cast. "Energy Stream," he said. "Now I can draw two cards." He reared his head back and laughed. "Aw, man. I hate having to do this to you after getting such a lead on me. But here's another Crimson Hammer to whack your Brawler Zyler with."

"Aww, come on!" Corbin shouted over the laughter of his friends.

Then, Rex tilted the card and attacked. The card glowed red and sent a crimson wave toward Corbin's shield.

"You're not going to get the better of me this time, boss. I tap three and summon Explosive Dude Joe."

"How lame," said Rex. "I tap one to summon Vorg, Earl of Engagement. Then tap four to evolve Brawler Zyler in Armored Blaster Valdios. And he's a double breaker, so say goodbye to two of your shields."

"I'll tap five to evolve Explosive Dude Joe into Masamune Explosion Drill Ogre. Now you lose two shields, Rex!"

"It won't make any difference," Rex declared. "I evolve Vorg Earl of Engagement into Vorg, Brawler of Hell..."

"Now, Valdios will attack and shatter your two last shields."

Snap! Snap! Corbin's last two cards flew up. He caught them and sighed. No shield triggers to save him this time. He sucked it up and prepared for his defeat.

Rex held out his hand then he shouted. "Vorg, attack and end the game. Todome Da!"

"Aw, nuts!" Corbin said, slapping the cards in his hand onto the stump.

"And that's why I'm in charge!" Rex bragged. "You need to have my genius if you want to be a Kaijudo Master."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Corbin said, shuffling his cards back into his deck.

Suddenly, their little floating robot butler started beeping.

"Hey, Winston's got something!" said Baron. He set down his can of beans and ran to the robot, his friends right at his heels. "What've you got, pal?"

The little robot beeped. "You're in luck, boys," said the robot. "There's a big Duel Masters event taking place in a village not far from here. The Festival of the Flaming Leaves. It's an event that celebrates the changing of the leaves here in the mountains. The harvest is almost here."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Rex. "But does this festival offer any rewards?"

"Oh, yes, it does, young master. There will be cash prizes and rare cards galore. But the big one is a tournament in which the winner receives 1000 dollars and a very rare Dragheart Creature."

"And that card's gonna be mine!" said Rex. "What are we waiting for, let's get this show on the road!"

* * *

* * *

Because of her outburst the other day, Angel's aunts barred her from taking the limo to school. So she got up extra early in the morning and walked for two miles to a train station by the sea that took her to the district closes to St. Alexander Senior High School. Her feet ached awfully, and once she sat down on the comfy orange seat of the train, she felt relief and took a deep breath to relax her leg muscles. She was thankfully alone in the back of the train and took the opportunity to freshen herself up a bit before it took her to school. She re-applied her makeup, straightened her loosened underwear, and fixed her hair, which was now sticking to her skin and was wiry from walking in the heat. She then sprayed a dab of perfume on her neck and chest. When she was done, she leaned against the seat and sighed, happy to be clean once again.

The train finally came to a stop at a station in the Carnival District, which was the last stop before she made it to school. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she whimpered, clutching her belly with both arms, and blushed, hoping nobody heard that. She sniffed the air, scented with the rich smell of sweet buns, cakes, sausages, and breakfast omelets. A man was inside his own little shop near one of the train tracks down below in the metro. Angel licked her lips and checked her phone for the time.

Perfect. She had plenty of time to get something to eat. Angel hurried to the man, who welcomed her with a smile.

"Hello, sweetie," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Um..." Angel cooed. "Could I get a breakfast sandwich, the one with pancakes for buns?"

"Ah, the fan-favorite," said the man. "Tom's Quick-Griddles. What else would you like, honey?"

"Hmm," Angel pressed her finger on her bottom lip as she thought of what else to get. "Could I also get some milk?"

"Of course," the man said, typing up her order on his touchpad. "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all, sir."

"Okay, that'll be ten dollars and fifteen cents."

Angel reached into the pocket of her golden blazer to dig out her purse. She opened it and counted the money with her finger. It wasn't enough. Her face burned with embarrassment. Her hunger was so great, she had forgotten that her aunts took all her pocket money, leaving her with barely any money. If she bought the whole meal, she wouldn't have enough money to take the train home.

Angel looked at the man, gulped nervously, and said: "Um...could you hold back on the milk sir?"

The man smiled and scratched his belly. "Forget it. The only reason I've been in business all these years is because of hungry kids like you. It's on the house, my dear."

"Really!?" Angel gasped. She bowed. "Oh, thank you very much!"

"Have a good day at school, honey," the man said handing her the food.

Angel thanked him one last time and hurried back to the tracks to wait for the train to arrive. She unwrapped her sandwich from the yellow and orange paper and bit into it.

"Hey, I like those!" said a boy standing next to her. It was Andre. This was also the train he took to get to school. "You're that new girl everyone's swooning over, huh?"

Angel didn't know what to say. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, but she wanted to be polite. "I am, but I didn't ask for the attention."

"I doubt anyone would," said Andre. "Why are they swarming you anyway?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Angel said at once. "And you wouldn't understand anyway. It's politics."

Andre nodded. "Yeah, I'm not into all that kind of stuff. But I know you were once the daughter of nobility. And you can sing or something."

"Not anymore," Angel said. She bit into her sandwich again.

"But you did, didn't you?"

"Yes. Before the war, I was a celebrity in my country. Pop-singing sensation and all that. I suppose some of that fame has reached the ears of the guys at school. I guess that's why everyone chases after me."

"Sorry, you have to deal with that."

"Uh-huh," Angel said.

"I'm Andre. Andre Neromaki."

"Pleasure," Angel said. "Look, um, I get you're trying to be really nice, but, uh, I've had a really hard...disappointing morning, you know. I need...I need a little space."

"Did you fall down?" Andre asked.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a bruise on your wrist and your thigh."

Angel took notice. Those were the spots her aunts hit the hardest when they beat her for spilling milk all over the floor. It wasn't her fault. The boys tripped her on purpose. Naturally, they didn't believe her. The boys were precious angels in their eyes. Angel pulled her sleeve down to cover it. However, there wasn't much she could do about her skirt except move away from Andre.

"I need to go," she said.

"Is there something going on?" Andre asked. "Maybe I can help."

"No! I said goodbye!" Angel snapped. She gasped, realizing she raised her voice a little too loud. "Sorry, I'm sorry." She bowed apologetically. "Look, Andre, it was nice meeting you, but I really must be going."

The train finally came. And when it slowed down she dashed inside. Poor guy, she thought. But he was prying too far into her business. She went upstairs to the second level of the train and sat down, placing her white and gold headphones over her ears to listen to calming classical music for the duration of the ride, which was fifteen minutes. The thought of yelling at Andre ate her soul like acid. Man! She didn't mean to make him feel bad, but she was just uncomfortable around boys.

Especially after everything she went through at the hands of the mercenaries who treated her so awfully. She just wanted to go to school and be with Rebecca, Felicity, Phoenix, and the others. Hopefully, they could hang out again like they did last time. She wanted that so much, of course, the thought of meeting Luc, Trey, and Flynn bothered her. She just wanted to be in the company of females. Angel thought about it no more and looked out the window at the city for the duration of the ride.

* * *

School felt like an incredible drag today. Most blamed the fact that today was Monday. The minutes went by like hours and it felt like an eternity before the final bell of the day ran and released the students from class.

"Ugh, today sucked!" Felicity said. She opened the door to her locker and stuffed her books in there. "I thought it was never going to end."

Rebecca yawned, putting her things away as well. "I know what you mean. Say, don't you and Eren have that big match today?"

"Ah, yes, that's right!" said Felicity. "I can't wait to teach him a lesson. Can you believe the nerve of that guy?"

Angel, who also shared a locker in the same row as her friends slammed hers closed. "I do hope you teach him a lesson he'll never forget," said Angel. "He certainly doesn't care about the boundaries of a girl."

"That he doesn't," said Rebecca, rubbing her bottom in the spot where Eren felt around. She could still feel the sensation of his fingers. "So he got you, too, huh?"

"Yes, and I thought he was being really nice. I can't wait to watch Felicity beat him."

"Wish I could go," said Rebecca. "But I've got to meet up with Luc and Flynn in an hour and work on our project for English Literature."

"And we've been waiting for quite a while," Luc said coming down the hall. He and Rebecca hugged and kissed. Since he was taller than her, Rebecca had to stand on her toes to reach his lips.

"Sorry, sorry," she said. "Just giving Felicity a little pep talk before her match against Eren today."

Luc frowned. "I hope he gets what's coming to him. You girls built Felicity quite the deck. I've got to say I'm impressed. I hope you and I can have a match sometime in the future, Felicity. I think it would be tons of fun."

"Of course, Luc, I'd be more than happy to play you in a duel sometime. Rebecca says you've got the brightest Light deck in school."

"Well, I've got to," he said. "I am the head of the Light Clan after all. And I just registered for the Bolshack Cup in the Red Arena next week. Felicity, you should enter, too."

"She can't," said Rebecca. "Her rank's not high enough. We need to get her to the rank of Professional or Advanced before she can even enter a big tournament."

"I plan on getting there this week," Felicity said. "Kaitlyn and Rei invited me to the Festival of the Flaming Leaves this weekend, but I as Rebecca says, I have to rank up if I want to join."

"Do you think there's time?" Angel asked. "You're still just in the Amateur rank."

"I'm aware of that. But if Luc was able to reach the rank of Master within a week, maybe I could, too."

"Yeah, but Luc's good," said Rebecca. "I'm not saying you're not, Felicity. You're a great duelist. But you're still a little green, even with all those cards we gave you."

"I can handle it. I'm not afraid anymore."

"Well, you'll have to challenge some pretty high-ranked players to gain the EXP needed," said Luc. "Luckily, Flynn, Trey, and I know where you can find them. We can give you the duels so long as you win them."

"That sounds fair," said Felicity. "And Eren's going to be the first one going down."

"That's my girl," said Rebecca. "Angel, give Felicity a cheer for me while you're out there, huh."

"Will do," Angel said with a salute. "Did Eren tell you where he would be waiting, Felicity?"

"Same place," Felicity answered. "The dueling grounds behind the restaurant. Say, Angel, I've been meaning to ask you something. You seemed a little down today. So unlike you."

"I must agree, you're usually a ball of sunshine," said Rebecca. "You're negativity didn't fill us with light today. Maybe that's what caused school to be such a drag today."

"You flatterer, you," Angel said with a tease. "Yeah, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"Eesh," said Luc. "If you being in a gray mood means it school turns into such a drag, I hope you start waking up on the right side of the bed from now on, Angel. I hope we never have a day like this again. Try and smile a little more, yeah?"

"I'll do my best," said Angel. "Thank you, Luc. Good luck with your project."

"And good luck with your duels," Rebecca said to Felicity. "Give Eren a good ass-kicking. If you lose, you have to go on a date with him."

"I don't intend to lose. Going out with that creep is the last thing I want right now."

"Then don't waste your time with him," Adam said, coming towards them with his groupies. "Felicity, my dear. Good to see you again. Having a little trouble with this Eren fellow? Need us to take care of him for you."

"I can deal with him myself," Felicity assured him.

"Of course, you can. Especially with that card I gave you. What do you think of it? Powerful, no?"

"What are you doing here, Stryker?" Luc asked. "I thought you and your boys head back into the asylum for arts and crafts at this hour."

"Hilarious," Adam said, taking off his sunglasses. "I'd watch myself if I were you, Luc. You've got something I want."

Rebecca's face creased with agitation as Luc placed his arm over her shoulder and hid her from Adam's view. "She's not interested," Luc said. "I thought she's told you this over a dozen times."

"She has the legendary King Ambergris," said Adam. "He's one of those legendary creatures from the temple. The ones her crazy aunt let loose when she wanted their power. Rebecca, need I remind you of the benefits you could get dueling for my all-female pro league team. I told you, I take care of my girls. I get them everything they want."

"At the cost of their freedom and their dignity!" Rebecca snapped. "I know what your 'group' is, Adam. It's nothing more than a harem. I'm not that kind of girl."

"Oh," Adam said, his eyes falling on Angel's. "And what about you, sweetheart? You're that girl everyone in school's going crazy for, yes?"

"I..I...I am," Angel replied.

"Nice. Talent as well as beauty. I like that. I know all about your talents. There's something special about you, Angel. The same thing I feel with Felicity and Rebecca, I feel with you." He looked at the deck case on her belt. "And you're a Light duelist, too! Oh, today is my lucky day. My friend Marcus was right about you."

"Stop right there!" said Luc. "You don't want to have anything to do with Marcus, Adam. If you only knew of what he's capable of."

"I think I already know," said Adam.

"No, you don't!" Andre said approaching them. Mario was right behind him, begging him no to interfere. "You have no idea what Marcus is doing."

"Blood Summoning?" Adam said.

"So you DO know!" said Luc.

"Blood Summoning?" Felicity asked. "What's that?"

"Nevermind that," said Rebecca. "We've heard all about it, Adam. And you need to stop. You have no idea what it is that you're unleashing."

"What are they talking about?" Angel whispered to Felicity.

"I don't know," Felicity said as the group argued. "These guys and Marcus have a history together. I think this has to do with the magic of the game."

"Magic? Real magic?"

"I don't believe it, but it sure sounds that way," Felicity said.

"People are getting hurt," said Andre. "And if people get hurt. Then you get hurt!" He grabbed Adam by the collar of his blazer. "Now you listen here, Stryker. You better call Marcus off like the dog that he is! Or else bad things are going to start happening to you. David Kaiser's back in town, did you know that?"

Adam grinned back at him. "Do you think I'm afraid of David Kaiser? We've uncovered a power far superior to his. Pretty soon, he's going to be the one running away from us."

Andre gripped Adam's collar even tighter. "Well, until that time comes, you stop with this crap! If I hear one more person goes to the hospital because of Marcus's Blood Summoning magic, I'm going to rip you a new one. And as for the girls. You leave them alone! They're not interested in joining your little cult. You let their friends, Kaitlyn and Rei go! I saw the way you treat them. You make me sick!"

"Big bad hero here, boys," Adam said. He grabbed Andre by the wrists and squeezed them with all his might. All of a sudden, Andre's courage and strength collapsed. He hollered as he slowly went to his knees. "That's right, Dog! Kneel! On the ground where you belong. My family practically owns this city. So that means that it's my little playground and if I want a girl in my group, I'll get them in my group. One way or another. I have my ways. Ain't that right, ladies?"

He looked at the end of the hall where Kaitlyn and Rei were standing together. They both had sad looks on their faces. Rei shook her head.

"You girls...ugh...have a choice!" Andre said. "You don't have to side with...acckk!"

"How dare you talk to my girls!" Adam said with a snigger. "Guys, please escort Andre out of the premises. The adults are talking."

Four of Adam's goons grabbed Andre and flipped him on his belly. They picked him up by his arms and legs and carried him down the hall toward a trash bin near the stairs. Rei looked away and Kaitlyn shook her head, watching as they stuffed Andre head-first into the trash bin. His legs kicked up and down as he struggled to get out. Everyone in the hallway started laughing at him.

Adam jeered at the deed and feared no repercussions from the staff. They were all afraid of him and his family, so they dared not touch any matter concerning him.

"Now that we've dealt with the trash, we can get back to business."

"We're not going to deal with you," said Luc. "I warn you, Adam, you've started something you're going to regret."

"I'm sure. Well, girls, I must be off. Kaitlyn and Rei have some...things they need to take care of with me back in my building."

He air-kissed them. Both girls looked away from him and didn't say a word.

"Felicity, it would be wise not to keep me waiting for too long. I've said it once and I'll say it again. I have ways of getting what I want. And I'll do anything to get what I want. ** _Anything_**. That goes for you two lovely ladies as well. And Luc. Tell Flynn his little 'Bunny' is on her last warning. You girls have exactly one week to give me your answers. I don't want to have to resort to doing anything nasty to get you to join my team. Amazing things are going to happen because of you ladies," he said putting on his sunglasses. "Please, let's make it a happy moment."

He bowed and walked away, his two friends following him down the hall. Kaitlyn and Rei got off the wall and followed him as well.

"So, I understand you two have got a fun-filled little outing this weekend," Adam said to Rei and Kaitlyn. 

"How do you know that?" Kaitlyn asked. 

"Because, babe, I've got constant surveillance over you two. We're always watching you."

"Why would you do that?" Rei said. 

Adam put one arm over Kaitlyn's shoulders and one arm over Rei's. "Because I need to keep a close eye on my two precious valuables. You two are the money makers, baby. And tonight, I'm going to have you two try out one of my newest products."

* * *

"This whole situation is scary," Angel said. She sat on the edge of a picnic table in the park with Felicity. "Blood Summoning? Marcus? What does this all mean?"

"I don't know," said Felicity. "The more I hear about all this magic mumbo-jumbo, the less fun this game is turning out to be. It seems there's something more to it than meets the eye. I just wanted to play a fun game with my friends, but now it seems like there are other forces at work here."

"I agree," said Angel. "I didn't agree to be a Duelist just to have all of this thrown at me. Least of all getting hounded by this Adam Stryker fellow. Just who does he think he is?"

"He's the son of the Ryoya's mayor," said Felicity. "And it turns out the mayor is also the leader of the city mafia. My father said he got there with a trail of blood and money. The best thing to do not to get involved with that family and live our happy lives in this city is to stay out of their affairs. Too bad Andre had to learn that the hard way."

"He got it easy," Flynn said coming towards them. He took off his single-strap backpack and set it on the table. "I heard about what happened. I'm sorry."

"Flynn," said Felicity. "What about the project you, Luc, and Rebecca were supposed to be working on."

Flynn shook his head. "Luc gave me Adam's warning. As soon as he did I packed my things and made sure my girlfriend got home safe. Adam's a dangerous kid, girls. But have no fear. I think we may have found the tools we need to stop him."

"Really?" Angel asked. "How? Oh, nice to meet you, by the way, Flynn. I'm Angel. A friend of Rebecca's."

"She's told me all about you," Flynn said. He sat down on the bench, all of his chains rattled. "You're the daughter of that noble family that got..." He stopped talking as soon as Angel's expression turned sad and she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. I should have known better."

Angel looked back up and forced her lips into a smile. "It's all right. Has anyone heard from that Andre guy? Is he all right?"

Flynn folded his arms. "Yeah, he's fine. Mr. Grossman and I pulled him out of the trash. Hopefully, he'll know better than to put his hands on a mafia boss's son again. He's lucky. I've seen Adam do worse to people. Much worse."

"How can such an awful man be in charge of such a beautiful city?" said Felicity.

"The same way lots of corrupt politicians get into power." Flynn rubbed his finger and thumb together.

"Terrible," said Angel. "And here I thought I left all the corruption back home in my country."

Felicity stood next to her and slipped her arm around her waist to comfort her. "It's okay. We'll figure something out."

Flynn started to nod. "Yeah, yeah, you bet we will. The moment he brought Penny into this, he screwed himself. Thanks to a few friends, I think I know just how we can fight back." He relished at the thought of using the magic the five creatures spoke of.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"Nothing," said Flynn. "Just leave everything to me, Rebecca, and the others."

"Sounds like the Big Five are going to save the day again," Angel chuckled. She pointed behind Flynn.

"Andre," Flynn said. "Well, the triumphant hero returns."

"Back off, I've had a rough day," Andre said. "Mind if I sit with you guys?"

"I don't have any problem with it if they don't," said Flynn.

"No arguments from me," said Felicity.

"None from me either," said Angel. "Look, Andre, about what happened down in the train station. I..."

Andre held up his hand. "There's no need to say a thing, Angel. It was my fault for intruding on you that way. I didn't think about how you felt. I should be the one apologizing. Here. I got you a pack of cards." He tossed them at her.

"Apology accepted," Angel said catching the cards. "Thank yoooooo-hooo-YAAAAA!" 

Suddenly both she and Felicity yelped feeling Eren's fingers reach under the skirts and pinching their bottoms.

"Hey, ladies, how's it going?" Eren said walking from behind them.

Flynn's head hung past his shoulders as he gave a heavy sigh. He looked up. "You must be Eren."

"Is he allowed to do that?" Andre asked.

"And you're Flynn! The Darkness player of the Big Five," Eren said like a child witnessing his hero for the first time. "Dude, you're like a legend around here. It's amazing to finally see you in the flesh instead of in a dream."

"What's he talking about?" Felicity asked.

"Nothing to worry about," said Flynn. "So, I take it you're here for the big date that's on the line?"

"He's not getting anything," Felicity said, storming to her duel table. "You're going down, Eren!" She pointed to the empty one across the blacktop, urging him to hurry before some else claimed it.

Eren walked to the table and took off his backpack to fish out his deck. "I've been looking forward to this," Eren said. "Your ass is mine."

Felicity smirked. "Bring it on, pervert! I cast one mana."

"So will I," said Eren.

"I cast one more."

Eren smiled. "Me, too. Just what are you planning in that pretty head of yours? Well, I'll end my turn by casting the spell, Faerie Life. Now I add the top card of my deck to my mana pool."

Felicity drew. "I'll just set one mana."

Eren shook his head. "Are you just being playful?"

"Maybe," Felicity said. "Or I've got something planned that will teach you a lesson."

"Well, I can't wait to see it."

"You're not scared?"

Eren smiled again. "Why should I be? I'm having the time of my life dueling against a very pretty girl. There's this spark about you, Felicity. Something that I really, really love."

"Spark nothing," said Felicity. "I know what you're after." She turned around and smacked her thigh. "Come and get it, prick!"

"You're a bad girl, you know that?" Eren said.

"Don't you forget it," said Felicity.

"Oh, I won't. I like bad girls."

Felicity scoffed. "Are you always this charming?"

Eren laughed. "Really? You find that charming? Well, I guess it's safe to say it doesn't take much to impress you, Felicity. Admit it, you like having me around."

Felicity gave him the finger. "Ha! In your dreams. You didn't think I was being serious, did you? I'm just screwing with your head so that when you lose, you'll feel the sting of this defeat for the rest of your life. I'm never going out with you. And I'm going to make sure of it."

"Then summon something. I set one mana."

"You first. I set one mana, too."

"This is getting boring," said Andre. "I would have taken at least three shields out if this were my duel."

The turns went by. Still, they played nothing. All they did was cast mana and skipped their turns. Flynn chuckled and started rubbing his goatee. He knew what was going on. Both of them seemed to read each other's minds at this point. They wanted to stall until they got something powerful on the field. At this point in time, Flynn, or anyone else for that matter, would have summoned low-cost creatures to chip away at their shields or blockers to set up a defense. But these two were doing neither, and that was odd considering what was on the line here.

Eren wanted to date Felicity. Surely he would have brought something out by now to help him achieve that goal. Then again, Felicity hated Eren and his handsy character. Flynn had seen the videos Rebecca posted with footage of Felicity's duels. Gone were the days of the timid scared newbie. Felicity was almost ruthless at times when she played her bigger creatures. Surely if she wanted to avoid going out with Eren, she would have summoned them by now. But she didn't. Instead, she tapped four mana and summoned two little fire birds called Chara Lupia.

Angel clasped her hands together when she saw them flying around in circles above Felicity's shields. "They're so cute!" she squeaked. "But look at all the mana she's got. Why doesn't she summon something bigger?"

"Don't know," said Flynn. "I can say for sure that these two seem to enjoy one another's company all of a sudden. Maybe it's just me, but I think they're starting to get used to each other."

"What do you mean, Flynn?"

"Look at them. Not one of them has got that serious game face most players have when they're determined to win. These two are smiling at each other and are willing to let the game pass on so they can have enough resources for the bigger monsters. Call me crazy, but I think this is flirting."

"What? Her? and him? Ugh, no. Felicity would never."

"All right, the dry spell is over," said Eren. "This date is going to happen and this guy is going to help me. Come forth, Bolshack Dragon!"

Flames burst out of the ground and Bolshack shot out of the flaming twister. He spread his arms out, dispersing the flames before he roared.

"Time to get serious, Felicity. This guy is the key to taking you down! I'll give you one last chance to make your move."

"One last chance?" said Felicity. "Oh, no. Whatever shall I do? Oh, wait! Remember my fire birds? Chara Lupia? Well, it reduces the cost of all my dragons by two. And since I have two Chara Lupia out, the cost is now reduced by four, so they'll be a lot easier to summon. Here he comes. Bolzard Dragon!"

Eren's mouth fell open in awe at the sight of Felicity's Bolzard and his Bolshack staring each other down like two gunslingers in the wild west. It was one of the most amazing sights he had ever seen.

"It's never a dull moment with you around, Felicity. I'm having great fun."

"Yeah. You know, you're not so bad, Eren. Just stop with the butt-grabbing thing, though. I'm not done, either. I cast Hyperspatial Shooting Hole. This card allows me to bring out a Psychic Creature from my Hyperspatial Zone. I summon Ryusei, the Forever Kaiser."

She summoned a dragon similar to the Ryusei Dragon that Eren had. That just made his infatuation for Felicity increase more and more.

"We have creatures that look the same in our decks," he said. "You have Bolzard and I have the mighty Bolshack. And now two Ryusei Dragons. We were destined to meet, Felicity. It's fate that's brought us together."

"It's a coincidence, lover boy," said Felicity. "Your turn."

"All right, then. I'm going to cast Hyperspatial Gotsuen Hole. With this, I call upon Gaial Kaiser!"

The red armored dragon flew out of a golden gate since he was from the Golden Best Series. His armor was shinier and the accents were glowing bright yellow.

"I'm not done yet, Felicity. Since I have a Bolshack creature in my field, I can perform an evolution for no cost. Bolshack Dragon evolve into Überdragon King Bolshack "

Bolshack Dragon's armor grew bigger and was adorned with glowing orange cores placed on the center of each piece of his armor. A glowing orange horn grew from the center of his head and he grew an extra pair of arms. The upper hands had glowing blue fireballs and the lower ones were armed with regular orange ones.

"Get ready for a spanking, Felicity. Überdragon King Bolshack is a Triple Breaker, so three of your shields are toast!"

The dragon fired three balls of blue fire at Felicity's shields and shattered them.

"Now it's my turn," said Felicity. I tap six and summon Nicol Bolas!"

"Nico Bolas?" said Angel. "What's that!"

"You got me," said Andre.

Flynn's eyes widened. "Uh...just how many packs did you girls open the night you hung out?" he asked. "That card is almost impossible to find!"

A green-yellow dragon armored in gold gauntlets and a chestplate soared out of a golden gate since he was from the Golden Best Series as well. He roared, making one of the most powerful and graceful sounds Felicity had ever heard coming from a dragon. The creature then landed by her side, creating a cloud of dust.

"Why is that Nicol Bolas guy so hard to find?" asked Eren.

Felicity held it up so he could see. "He's a promotional card. A creature borrowed from Duel Masters' sister game, Magic the Gathering. And when he's summoned to the field, you have to discard seven cards from your hand."

"Aw, shit!" Eren said.

"Don't think I'm done yet," said Felicity. "Next, I tap five to activate Legend of Hope and Victory. This card will allow me to summon Bolmeteus Steel Dragon from my hand."

Eren gasped and then a shadow swooped over him. He looked up and saw the legendary white-armored dragon soaring above him. He landed right next to Nicol Bolas. Both of them stood in line with Bolzard Dragon in the middle."

Eren clapped. "Well, now. Just when I can't find you any more resistible. It just amazes me how fast you can summon dragons to the battle zone, Felicity. I guess this was the lesson you were going to teach me."

"Not quite," said Felicity. "I'm not going to finish you off that quickly. I'm going make this a match you'll remember for the rest of your life."

The arrogant duelist shrugged. "You're going to have to do better than that, Felicity."

"Better than this?" she said. "Nicol Bolas just nuked your entire hand. You've got no cards to play. Your desire to go out with me must be really big to make you think you have any hopes of defeating me right now. Maybe this will teach you to stop grabbing girls' bottoms, Eren."

"Others maybe, but I don't know if I'll ever stop coming after yours, Felicity."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because yours is a work of art. You think I want to date you for you? No way, babe. I'm after dat ass, nuff said."

Felicity wagged her hips left and right. "So that's what this is all about, huh? My ass?"

"I'll duel a hundred people then drag my lips through a mile of broken glass just to get a chance to kiss it," said Eren.

"This kid is not to be believed," Andre said. "Can someone shut him up already?"

Felicity burst out laughing. She gingerly covered her mouth with her fingers and giggled a bit before she spoke. "You're funny."

"Well, consider my day accomplished," Eren said. "I just made the girl of my dreams laugh. By the way, all that stuff I said. You know I'm just joking right? I really do like you, Felicity. You're smart, fun, you have a deck of kick-ass dragons, and you're beautiful!"

Felicity's face turned red like the cards in her deck.

"Hook, line, and sinker," Flynn said.

"No way!" said Angel. "She can't really be growing to like that pig!"

Felicity shrugged. "Don't think a few cute words are going to make me fall for you. If you want to date me, you have to beat me."

"Then beat you I shall, Felicity."

"I guess it all rides on that one card, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Eren placed his fingers on the top card of his deck. His hand was then engulfed in an aura of green, blue, and orange fire. MaltNEXT was aiding him.

"Looks like you're in a tough spot," he said to Eren.

"Yeah, I guess so. That girl's really got my number on this one."

"I can't say I'm surprised. There's powerful energy radiating from her. The same energy I felt in you when I first found you. You two are connected somehow."

"Oh, we're going to be connected all right." He drew. The flames on his hand left behind multi-colored embers in the air. "I cast the spell Hyperspatial Gaial Hole! Now Dragonic Pipi and Boost Crimson Lord appear from the Hyperspatial Zone. Now, I link my monsters together! Arise! Gaial King Dragon, Raging Dragon!"

"Oh, it's that King Dragon again!" Angel shouted over the roar of the monster as it stood behind him.

"That's one big monster," said Andre. 

"Now, King Bolshack, break her last shields!" Eren shouted. 

"It still doesn't look good for us," said MaltNEXT. "But I sense that you feel quite confident you'll win this match."

"I'm going to win alright," said Eren. "And when I do, me and Felicity over there are going out."

"Don't you feel like a heel making a girl put herself up as a prize like that? You know what? Nevermind. I do hope karma works in her favor today."

Felicity drew her card. "Look what I got, Eren. I think fate's working alright, but it's working for me. Check it out. I've got my own Hyperspatial Gaial Hole."

Eren backed away a bit, finding it very surprising that Felicity had that card in her deck too. 

"Don't feel so cocky now, huh?" said Felicity. "With this card, I bring out Sakon Pippi and Ukon Pippi. Now my cards are all set for a Psychic Link." She put her cards in the right order and flipped them over to reveal the monster in the back of their cards. "Awaken! Gaial Ryusei Dragon, Star Dragon King!" 

The group stared in awe and another showdown between two Psychic Super Creatures was about to begin. Felicity's creature was just as big as Gaial King Dragon. Both super creatures stomped on the ground and snarled at one another, ready to do battle. 

"First off," Felicity explained. "My creature can give all my creatures speed attacker. Including himself. So he can attack you and break three shields this turn. But first, I'm going to strike your first two shields with Nicol Bolas! And when he attacks, he lets me destroy one monster in your battle zone! And I choose your Uberdragon King Bolshack!"

Nicol Bolas soared over the battle zone while King Bolshack launched fireballs from his hands, trying to shoot down the dragon. He missed, then Nicol Bolas blasted King Bolshack with one fireball attack before soaring towards Eren's shields and shattering them. 

"Shield Trigger, activate!" he said. "Holy Awe! Now all your monsters are tapped."

"Aw, damn it!"

"She should have attacked with Bolmeteus first," said Andre. "That way, Felicity would have instantly destroyed those shields and not activate their triggers. She's good but she's got a lot to learn."

"That she does," said Flynn. "I've seen her make this mistake before. She doesn't read the card text at all and doesn't have any strategy. She just swoops in with the heaviest beat stick she's got."

"Nice save, Eren," said Felicity. "But I wouldn't plan on attacking with your creature. So long as Gaial Ryusei Dragon is in the battle zone, you can't attack with it because my dragon prevents your Psychic creatures from attacking or blocking."

"So he's done next turn," said Flynn. 

"Aw, man," said Eren. "Come on deck. What have you got for me?" 

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Eren shouted. MatNEXT showed up at last and then held his hand up to equip himself with the Dragheart Weapon Eren gave him. Gaiaheart, Galaxt Sword, which gave him speed attacker. Felicity had no shields. No blockers. No way to win. "Bolshack and Bolzard may link our hearts together, Felicity," Eren boasted. "But what links me and my deck together is this guy. When I draw him, there's nothing I can't do. MaltNEXT, attack Felicity! Todome Da!" 

MaltNEXT raised his sword and charged toward Felicity with a single bound. Gaial Ryusei Dragon slammed both feet beside Felicity and lowered his neck to act as a shield. Meanwhile, Bolmeteus Steel Dragon, Nicol Bolas, and Bolzard Dragon flew towards him in an attempt to keep him from striking down Felicity, but it was no use. The battle, as intense as it was, was just a means of display thanks to the theatrical holographic systems. All three dragons gave MaltNEXT a hard time, but it was inevitable. He was the winning creature in this fight. He struck Bolmeteus Steel Dragon across the neck. The dragon groaned in defeat and crashed to the ground, exploding. Bolzard Dragon tried fighting him back with his two blades, but one of them cracked after a powerful parry. Bolzard grunted in shock and then was cut down by MatlNEXT. Finally, Nicol Bolas went down after getting stabbed in the chest. Gaial Ryusei Dragon roared and charged across the blacktop. 

SLICE!!!

Both creatures flew past one another then they stopped. MaltNEXT grinned and chuckled while Gaial Ryusei Dragon roared in agony and fell on the ground defeated. When all her dragons were gone, Felicity was left all alone. MaltNEXT then zoomed towards her and smashed his sword on her, creating a massive explosion. Flynn slapped both his hands together and laughed. He couldn't believe Felicity lost. Now she had to go on a date with Eren. 

"She lost," said Andre. "I don't believe it!"

"Oh no!" Angel said. She got up and went to help Felicity back up. "Are you all right?" 

"I'm fine, Angel, thank you," Felicity said, patting Angel's thigh before standing back up. "I'm going to be....GYAAAHH!"

She and Angel screamed, again feeling Eren standing right behind them.

"Stooooooop!" Felicity shouted, scampering away.

"Well fought duel, Felicity," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So I believe that's one date."

"How did he do that?" Flynn wondered. "He was over there a second ago." 

"I wish he'd stop doing that!" said Angel. "I swear, Eren, one of these days, I'm going to have my butler take care of you!" 

"He's a big dude," said Flynn. "I saw him escorting Angel out of school the other day. Trust me, Eren. Enough is enough. You've already got your date so do us all a favor and control yourself, huh?"

"No biggie," said Eren. "So, Felicity, let's meet in the fountain plaza near the big tower on Friday."

"A deal is a deal," said Felicity. "You got your date but don't think this means anything."

Eren laughed. "Hey, we're going to have such a great time. In fact, why don't I take you home on my bike?"

"Oh, I forgot you had a motorcycle. I mean, it beats taking the bus."

"You take care of her, Eren," said Flynn. "If anything happens to her, I'm going to have to deal with Rebecca's bitch mode all day."

"No worries, guys. Any of you going to that Festival of the Flaming Leaves this weekend?"

Flynn held up his hand. "I know I am. Penny and I are going to participate in the tag team event over there. Rei and Kaitlyn are participating and we'd love to try our hands against them."

"Good luck," said Felicity. "Those two make a great team. Angel. Before I leave I couldn't help but notice those bruises on your shoulder. Is everything okay?"

Angel pulled her sleeve down as best she could. "It's nothing to worry about," she replied. "I just slipped down the stairs. Jenkins, my butler, gave me some ice before I left."

"I hope that's the case," said Eren. "If there are any problems going on at home, you should talk about it, Angel."

"No, there are no problems. Really."

"Angel," said Flynn. "You know we're your friends, right? We can help you if there's anything going on."

"And I am blessed to have you lot as my friends. I really am. But I assure you there's no need to worry. I just had an accident this morning, that's all."

"If you say so," said Felicity. "But you know, I'm really worried about you, Angel."

"I'm in good hands," said Angel. "I assure you, once again, everything's fine." She picked up her things. 

"Can I walk you back to the station?" Andre asked. 

"No, thank you," Angel replied at once. "I can get home on my own. Thank you for the pack of cards, Andre, that was very nice of you. Goodbye."

"You're welcome. I hope we can see each other again tomorrow."

"If I'm not busy, perhaps, but I can't make any promises. I have to rehearse for the concert."

"Concert?" Felicity asked. 

"I've been invited to sing for the festival this weekend," said Angel. "Some music group downtown heard of my success in the kingdom and asked if I wanted to record songs in their studio."

"That's great, Angel," Eren said. "Felicity and I would love to see you perform when we go together."

"Uh, hold on," said Felicity. "The festival is on Saturday. Our...bleh...date is on Friday. I only agreed to ONE date." She held up her finger.

"Yeah, it's just one. But I feel you and I are going to have such a great time, you'll be begging for more."

"I highly doubt that," Felicity said. "Man, this is going to be a long week."


	10. The Second Weekend

**Friday**

* * *

Kate and Brandon were often called the happiest couple in Ryuya City. They were always together, holding hands, arm in arm, and kissing one another a dozen times before they eventually had to part for the day. And they never dueled solo. They always wanted to play together at school and show the world how the power of love made them such an unbeatable team. They were full of light, full of love, full of passion. Which made them the perfect target for Marcus.

As the two were heading home from a coffee date, Marcus and his group of Blood Summoners surrounded them in an alleyway and challenged them to a duel. Four of them against the loving couple. They were scared but believed in one another's skills so much that they were confident they would make it through this. Marcus didn't think so. He watched from the top of a neon-lit drug store at the carnage his Blood Summoners were inflicting on the pair. Because the monsters his gang of punks summoned were real, the damage they inflicted was real.

"Deathliger, Lion of Chaos, attack the girl's shields! Ike!"

The demonic lion-like beast roared in response to the duelist's command and sprinted across the alley.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Brandon shouted.

Deathliger extended his claws and shattered the two shields. The razor-sharp pieces flew towards Kate, shredding her clothes to ribbons and making deep gashes in her skin. "NOOOOO!" Brandon shouted as Kate was knocked flat on her back. As she moaned on the ground, one of the Blood Summoners held out his hand and started uttering a terrible chant that summoned a dark and terrible arcane force. Brandon couldn't see the magic but he could tell there was some shadowy aura hovering over his beloved girlfriend. He burst into tears at the sight of her. Her clothes were barely hanging on to her, as were his. The blazer, suit, and tie he wore were just threads hanging on his arms and legs. And blood poured down from the cuts where the sharp pieces of his shields slashed him.

Suddenly, he could see drops of Kate's blood floating off the cuts on her skin and hovering above her until they formed a glob.

"STOP!" Brandon pleaded.

"Oh, don't worry, lover boy, you're next!" said a Blood Summoner with long, spiked, red hair. "General Dark Fiend, double break his shields!"

His creature, a scantily-clad demon woman shrieked a terrible battle cry and flew towards the boy. She raised her sword made of darkness and slashed his shields. The pieces flew towards him, cutting his shirt down to nothing and leaving him naked from the waist up. He fell on the ground. Even though both he and Kate had two shields left apiece, they couldn't fight these guys any longer. This duel was something terrible. And each turn that went by, they felt their life forces getting drained.

"That's enough!" Marcus called. He jumped down from the building and landed in the middle of the battle zone. "They're done. Prepare them for the ritual. Starting with the girl."

Kate wept when two big thugs dressed in black picked her up by her arms. Brandon could only watch in horror as Marcus approached her, clutching a black dagger with a red gem inlaid on the ringed pommel. Brandon quaked in fear. He was going to kill her. That must be what he was trying to do. But he was too weak to stand up. His body was burning with pain and he lost so much blood.

Marcus, thankfully, didn't use the dagger to cut her or anything. He waved it across the air like a wand. He looked like he was cutting a hole in the dimensions. A black gem suddenly appeared over her head. It started to glow and then ribbons of blood flew out of Kate's cuts and were sucked into the gem. Kate screamed until she started to wheeze. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell limp on the ground.

"NOOOOO!" Brandon wailed.

"She'll live," Marcus laughed, touching her cheek with the steel tip of his boot. He grabbed the gem, now colored red with Kate's blood, and pocketed it. "But don't think there's a happy ending to this. The ritual brought her to the brink of her life. She has barely any life force within her so don't count on her waking up any time soon. Or ever. You know David Kaiser, right?"

"Please," pleaded Brandon. "Please, bring her back."

"Good," said Marcus. "Let him know that we are now more powerful than he or those loser monks ever will be. He's wasting his time bringing back the Kaijudo Knights. This city is ours now. And soon the whole world. If he continues his feeble attempt at being the hero, he's going to suffer much worse than your little girlfriend did." He and his gang laughed. "Let's go, boys. We've got more blood crystals to create. The more we have, the stronger we'll be."

"Hail Marcus!" said the gang. They followed him into the darkness, leaving Brandon and Kate alone in the alley.

* * *

Felicity cleared away the mist that fogged up the bathroom mirror with her hand and looked at her reflection. Yup. This was about to happen. She was about to go on a date with a guy she would have never even considered going out with. But her ego, pride, and confidence in her new cards caused her to write a check with her mouth that she couldn't cash in. Eren was the better duelist in their match. He beat her so now he could have her for the whole day. She sighed and gave herself the finger in her reflection. Her hair was wrapped in a pink towel and another was around her body. She was still damp from her hot shower and used this time to apply her face cream and makeup.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," she muttered as she put on her lipstick. "You just had to open your mouth, huh? Now, look at the consequences. You belong to him. He won your time. Next time keep your mouth shut."

She left the bathroom and started to look for what to put on for the date. She chose to put on a black and red cropped leather jacket with flashy silver zippers and a white hood over a yellow midriff top with a splattered heart logo, a short-cut punch-colored wavy skirt trimmed in white at the hem; a black leather belt and a white newsboy cap with a shimmering star clipped on the right. She then put on black thigh-high socks and red and black boots with heels. Afterward, she put on a black choker with a ruby heart hanging from it. She stepped back and examined herself in the mirror. She sighed. She looked very pretty. Such a shame this ensemble had to be worn while going on a date with a total pig.

Felicity put her deck in a brand-new LED deck case, which she kept charging on her laptop so the red accents could glow all night. She put it in her purse, said goodbye to her family, and headed out the door. She waited outside the dancing fountain in the courtyard of her apartment complex for over an hour. Now she was getting impatient. She looked at her watch and wrinkled her nose.

"Five more minutes," she grumbled. "After that, I'm going back upstairs."

Bzz! Bzz!

Her phone rang. It was Rebecca.

**RB: Hey! :D**

**F: Hey :) Watz up?**

**RB: Is he there yet?**

Felicity rolled her eyes.

**F: Nope. He's n hour late. Ima bout 2 call it a day if Eren is not here soon :(**

**RB: OMG Wow. Wat a jerk. He grabs ur butt, wins a date with u, and now he's late? Girl, no. Just forget his ass and leave.**

**F: fr that's just wat Ima bout 2 do. Im done with this shit. Truth be told, I'd rather hang with u and the others tonight.**

**RB: Hey, we've got the whole weekend to hang out.**

**F: I know. Gawd, I feel so sick 2 my stomach**

**RB: Do u want us to be there with you?**

**F: Naw, no thanks. I got myself into this mess so I'm gonna deal with it myself :(**

**RB: I understand. We're all in town. So if ever things go bad, gimme a text. We'll be over right away. U know, Flynn suggested beating him a duel to get him to drop the date.**

**F: LOL I appreciate that, but my mother taught me 2 be a woman of my word. I owe this guy a date but don't worry. That's not gonna mean he'll do whatever he wants with me.**

**RB: That's my girl :)**

She heard the engines of a very fast motorcycle and looked up. Eren was zooming into the parking lot.

**F: I have 2 go. He's finally here!**

**RB: Be safe. Remember not to let him grab u too much. Kick him in the balls and go home.**

**F: I will. Don't worry.**

**RB: Stay safe. Luv u!**

**F: Luv u 2 babe. Talk 2 u later.**

Eren stopped the bike right in front of the pillar Felicity was leaning on. He took off his helmet, revealing short, curled, brown hair that Felicity never noticed since he was always wearing the same skullcap beanie to school every day. He was outfitted in a black leather jacket with a hood and tight jeans bloused into brown leather boots. His eyes flashed. They were chocolate brown mixed with green around the iris on the count of his heterochromia. Felicity hated to admit it, but Eren was a very handsome guy. Dare she even say sexy. If it weren't for his handsy character, she probably would have loved him a little more. He looked at her from top to bottom and whistled.

"Hot damn!" he said. "You are just too perfect."

"And YOU were almost too late," said Felicity. "What's the big deal, dude? I've been waiting for over an hour!"

"Well, I just had to find the right thing to wear for our date. A perfect outfit for a perfect girl. You look amazing today, babe."

"Babe?" Felicity crossed her arms over her chest and gave a scoff, blowing off his cheesy comment. "All right, we're going to lay a few ground rules here, Eren. First off, you do NOT call me any pet names. I'm not your babe. I'm not your honey. I'm not your girl. The only reason I'm here is because I lost a duel that I had no business being part in. If I had kept my mouth shut, I wouldn't be wasting a perfectly good Friday night with you. Third. You take me home at eight and no later than that. Fourth. If you EVER touch my butt tonight, not only is the date off but I'm going to kick you square in the junk. Then I'm going to call The Big Five to come over and mess you up some more. It may have been funny the first time but now it's really starting to get on my nerves."

Eren smiled and bowed his head. "All right, all right. The princess will get what she wants."

"I had better," said Felicity. "Or I'm going to make your life a living hell."

Eren suddenly gave her that cheeky, confident grin of his again. "Wow, Felicity. I just want to date you. I'm not ready for a committed relationship yet."

Felicity pouted.

Eren sneered at that. "So, you thought it was funny the first time, huh?"

"You're asking for it," Felicity said.

"I know, I know," Eren said. He tossed her a spare helmet. "Come on. Let's go get some dinner. I know just the place."

Felicity took off her newsboy cap and stuff it in her purse before she put on the helmet She climbed in the back of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms over Eren's chest. He grinned, lowered the visor, and took off into the city.

He took Felicity to a restaurant called McOnie's Steak Barn, located on the top floor of a big building that served as a food Pavillion. They had a booth all to themselves at the end of the restaurant with a view of the bay and the island across the water housing the super-rich in the distance. Eren and Felicity ordered their drinks. He had a regular cole while Felicity's was cherry flavored. During the time they waited for their food to arrive, they both said nothing. Eren just sat on the other side of the booth watch Felicity chug down her sod with a pouty face. The ruby on her choker flashed red like a warning sign, telling Eren that this outing was going to be an absolute disaster.

"Say something to her, fool!" said MaltNEXT. "This whole thing was your doing."

"I know," said Eren. "The thing is, I didn't even think I would make it this far. I thought I was going to lose."

"How do you ask a girl to go on a date with you and not have anything to say?" MaltNEXT growled. "You are such an idiot!"

"Got that right," Eren agreed.

"Got what right?" Felicity asked. She slurped the last of her soda and set it down on the table.

"Huh?" Eren said.

"Who were you talking to?" Felicity asked in a very demanding tone.

Eren nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I just...I was just wondering. Rebecca says you're from the country, right? What part?"

"Firebird Valley," Felicity answered.

"Do you think I would have liked it there, Felicity?"

"You? I mean if you're into the outdoors, I suppose."

"I didn't live in the country but my dad and I would head out there and go on fishing trips. Sometimes we'd even go camping in this really cool place called Liger Mountain. It had such a great view. I remember my dad and I just sitting there and watching the sun setting behind the mountains."

"Oh, really?" said Felicity. "My mother and I did the same thing."

Eren suddenly formed a smile. Finally, they had something to talk about. "Really? No kidding?"

"Nope. She owned this beautiful, cozy, cottage right at the roots of a mountain that watched over our estate. Every weekend for as long as I can remember, she would take me and my little sister, Riley hiking up the mountain. There was a waterfall right there next to this cave. My mother would set up our tent and picnic supplies right there. Oh, it was so much fun." She sighed sadly, placing her elbow on the table and resting her cheek on her palm. "I miss her."

"Oh," Eren said. "My dad's gone, too."

Felicity gasped and looked Eren right in the eyes. He looked like he was about to burst into tears. "I'm sorry," she said. "What happened?"

"He caught the Ajax Virus. He lasted a few weeks but he eventually succumbed." He chuckled to hide his emotions. "My dad. He was always the fighter."

Felicity didn't know why, but she reached out her hand and placed it on Eren's. "My mother died in a car accident. She lost control in a winding road and her car fell down the mountain."

"Oh, man! I'm sorry to hear that."

The waiter arrived with a cart carrying their meals. "Here you go, kids," he said. "T-bone steak with mashed potatoes and french fries?"

"That's me!" said Eren, holding up his finger.

"Here you go, champ," the waiter said. "Careful. The plate's hot. And honey-glazed chicken with brown rice and cranberries for the little lady."

"Thank you, sir," Felicity said. She placed a handkerchief over her lap as the waiter slid her food towards her.

"Ah, such a gallant lady you are," said the waiter. "And can I refill your drinks?"

"Thank you," Eren said.

"All right, let's see. You had the cherry coke. Right, sweetie?"

"Yes, sir," Felicity said holding up her glass. The waiter poured all the way to the top.

"And regular for you. Right, son?"

"Yeah, thanks," Eren said. The waiter then filled his cup, too.

"All right, kids. If there's anything else you need, just holler."

"Thank you," Eren and Felicity said together.

Eren started cutting into his steak. "Wow, Felicity. The more I learn about you, the more it seems like we were destined to meet. I mean look. You have Bolzard and I have Bolshack." Felicity giggled as she rolled her eyes and stuck a piece of the sweet chicken into her mouth. Eren held up his hand. "No, no, no, hear me out. Remember what the flavor text on the card says. _When Bolshack awakens in the east, Bolzard roars in the west._ You were born and raised in Firebird Valley, yes? Well, that's west of where I was born. Ocean City, which is pretty far east from here."

"Oh, wow," said Felicity. "That does sound rather synchronized. And then there's us losing a parent, too. I must say we might have a lot of things in common, Eren. When's your birthday?"

"October sixth."

Felicity's eyes widened like saucers.

Eren pointed at her. "Don't tell me..."

"YES!" she squealed. "That's my birthday!"

"GET OUT!" Eren laughed as he sat back in his booth. "What the hell. No, no, no, no! Now I'm getting freaked out by this." He reached into his deck case to take out Bolshack. He held up the card and showed it to her.

"Ah," said Felicity. She then took Bolzard out of her deck case and held it up for him to see. Then they reached their cards out over the table and held them right beside each other.

"This is quite amazing!" she said. "I have to admit you're full of surprises, Eren."

"So are you," Eren said. "Man. Talk about a chance meeting."

"I know. So, tell me, what else do you have planned for us tonight?"

"Well, we're in Ryoya City, aren't we? Our date won't be complete without some duels going on. I wouldn't mind doing some more tag team action with you. My Bolshack and your Bolzard out in the field together kicking ass."

Felicity jeered. "Okay, you've convinced me. Why don't we head for the duel pavilion in the mall after we're done eating!?"

"Sounds good to me." Eren raised his cup. "To your mom and my dad."

Felicity raised hers. "To Bolshack and Bolzard," she added.

They clinked their glasses and continued to eat. After they were done, they hopped back on the motorcycle and Eren took Felicity on a long ride along the highways that stretched through the buildings. She looked around in wonder at the neon-lit buildings, blazing past her like a rainbow smear. And the holographic advertisements of monsters over the highway roared and reached out to her. They finally reached the mall and they both hurried to the top floor where the duel pavilion was located. No surprise, it was loaded to capacity with youngsters looking to duel their night away and earn XP to go up in rank and earn their place in the upcoming tournaments.

"Look at this," Felicity said, pointing at a backlit advertisement on the wall. "The Bolshack Cup is back."

"The Bolshack Cup, huh?" Eren said walking beside her. "It's one of those ranked events. But you have to be ranked Professional or higher to join that event."

"I've been working on my rank all week," said Felicity. "I want to win that trophy and that prize card pack. Six beautiful cards made of 24k luxury gold foil. What I'd give to have one of those in my deck."

"That's not bad," said Eren. "How long do you have left before you can qualify?"

"A long way," Felicity said with a glum tone, but she still kept her smile. "I don't think I'll have time. The qualifiers are next week."

"Well, today is the start of Double EXP Weekend. If you can win a ton of battles tonight, I'm sure you'll reach Professional in no time. And tag team matches usually have better XP payouts. Why not get started?"

"Yeah. Oh, while you go register, I'm heading to the bathroom. Oof! I've gotta pee."

"Oh! Understandable. I'll go see if I can't rent us an arena for the next hour."

They split up. Once Eren was done renting out a vacant arena, he walked back to the hallway that led to the restrooms and waited for Felicity to come out. He leaned against the tiled wall and checked his phone for any news around the city. Unsurprisingly, he saw an article about another vicious attack on unsuspecting duelists. He looked up at one of the TV screens hanging on the wall and noticed an **RCN** (Ryoya City News) breaking news bulletin. A couple of youngsters were once again viciously attacked the night before. The police commissioner was on the podium answering as many questions as he could. He then went on to say that all duelists must travel home together and stay in large groups. He also warned the perpetrators that the police were going to find them and bring them to justice.

"Man, that's crazy," said Eren.

"Tragic is what it is," said MaltNEXT. "I suggest keeping a close eye on your lady friend this night."

"You bet I will. Felicity is really starting to grow on me."

"Hmph, I certainly hope she feels the same way about you," MaltNEXT said.

"EREN!" someone called.

Eren looked up from his phone. Rusty was running toward him with two other guys in two. Andre and Mario.

"Hey, Squirt!" Eren said, high-fiving Rusty. "What are you doing out here this late at night? You know it's not safe out there. Duelists are getting attacked."

"I know, man, scary stuff."

"I'm watching over him," said Andre. "And rest assured I'll be watching over you, too. So, you're Grabby McGrabberson."

"Huh?" Rusty said looking over his shoulder.

"You don't want to be friends with this guy, Rusty. He doesn't respect girls' personal boundaries. Not to mention he made Felicity accept a duel with a date on the line. And he won."

"You did?" Rusty said. To Andre's surprise, Rusty jeered happily and fist-bumped Eren. "Aw, nice! Felicity Reagan is a very pretty girl and a strong Fire duelist, too. Way to play, Eren. So where's your hot date, man?"

"Rusty?" Andre said. "You can't be serious."

"She's in the bathroom freshening up," Eren replied. "Don't worry. I've been taking good care of her."

"You'd better," said Andre. "She's a good friend of Rebecca's. And if anything happens to her, well, let's just say things won't end up really well for you."

"Ooo, check out superman here," Eren said. He put his phone in his pocket. "You know, you shouldn't be lecturing Rusty about who to make friends with, hotshot. I heard from his brother, Trey, that you used to hang with Marcus, the guy responsible for all the attacks going on out there. If there are any bad influences around here, it's you."

"That was a long time ago," said Andre.

"Yeah, that's right," said Mario. "My man Andre moved past all that. So there's no need to be bringing that up."

Eren sneered. "Still, just the fact that you were desperate enough to be around that psychopath is disturbing. Thirsty for power or something, Andre? Did Marcus offer you power and rare cards in exchange for being his lapdog?"

"I said that was a long time ago!" Andre snapped. "Those days are over. But if you insist on spewing your rhetoric, how's about we settle this with a duel?"

"Bring it on, lapdog! I have an arena booked for me and Felicity."

"Lapdog!" Andre held up his fist. "You better watch yourself, asshole. Now I'm really starting to get pissed off."

"You're the one wanting to butt heads."

"Because I can't stand people like you. You think you can just make a grab at girls whenever the hell you feel like it? That's not going to stand with me. Felicity's a lady and you better respect her. Or else I'll teach you some respect."

Eren got off the wall. "I think it's time someone taught you your own lesson. A little payback for being dumb enough to join Marcus. I don't know what you did to weasel your way in Rusty's life, but I'm not going to stand for it. He's a good kid. He doesn't deserve someone with a wretched past like yours."

"Wait, hold on, Eren," said Rusty. "That's going too far out of line. Andre's changed."

"What is going on out here?" Felicity said coming out arm and arm with Angel, who looked stunning in a short, white, party dress and high heels.

"Angel!" the boys all said at once.

"Look who I stumbled in while in the bathroom," said Felicity.

"What are you doing out here?" Eren said. "Did you come here alone?"

"Yes," Angel said with a nod.

"You know you shouldn't be doing that," said Andre, shoving his way past Eren. "It's dangerous out there. There are crazy people hunting duelists and hurting them."

"Oh, stop fussing! I can handle myself."

"You sure about that?" Rusty asked. "Did you fall down the stairs again?" He pointed at a new bruise on her wrist.

Angel covered it with her pearl bracelet. "Yes, I accidentally slipped. One of the heels in my slippers snapped and I tumbled down the stairs again. Oof, clumsy me."

"I'm not buying that one bit," said Andre. "Angel, I can tell something bad is happening to you at home. You should speak up about it."

Angel stuck her nose in the air. "Humph. My affairs at home are none of your business, Mr. Andre. If you want to worry yourself to death and think something 'bad' is happening in my house, that's your bloody fault. I'm fine. And that's that."

"Yeah, lapdog," Eren teased. "What happened to respecting a lady's wishes?"

"I wasn't talking to you!" snapped Andre.

Felicity rolled her eyes. "And it was such a calm night. Get a few guys together and the testosterone levels rise up. Ugh, you guys can go butt heads in the arena Eren rented out. Angel and I are going to get some ice cream."

"Sounds good," said Eren. "See you in a bit, babe."

"I'm not your babe!" Felicity said, walking off with Angel.

Rusty watched them both leave and grin. "Well, why don't we head for that arena you rented, Eren? Let's get some duels underway for Double XP weekend."

"I'm itching to get a few points and rank up," Andre said. "Phoenix owes me a duel once I hit the rank of master. After that, I'll be able to join any tournament I want."

"I'll bet," said Eren. "Come on. We don't have long before the expiration on my reservation goes out."

Eren then took them to an area closer to the entrance of the dueling pavilion. It didn't have the view or the location like the one Kaitlyn rented out before but it was still big enough to accommodate a party of guests and house their duels.

At once, Eren and Andre stepped up to their booths and placed their decks on the liquid-crystal display playmat.

"Rusty tells me you're really good," said Eren.

"He says the same about you. Too bad that skill is wasted on a pig, like yourself."

"Trash talk, huh? Man, I'm liking this city more and more. The action, the smack talk, the monsters, the hot girls. I'm in paradise!"

Andre grinned. "Glad you're liking it here. But it's time someone taught you some manners. Since you brought Felicity into this mess, I'm going to be a friend and get her out of it. If I win, you end your date with her now! Got it!"

"I don't think that's any of your business, man," said Rusty.

"Naw, he's right!" said Mario. "Felicity didn't deserve this."

"If that's the way you want to play it, lapdog," said Eren. "But if I win, you leave Rusty alone. For good!"

"Hey, wait a minute"! said Rusty.

"You can't do that!" shouted Andre.

"You just forced me to ante up my date with Felicity for the sake of being a white knight. So I'll get something in return. Rusty shouldn't hang out with people who were so desperate for power that they'd join a total thug like Marcus. I've only been in this city for a couple of weeks and I already know he's one bad dude. You know what they say. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And every apple from Marcus's tree is rotten to the core."

"Don't listen to him, Rusty! We're friends, man! You know me. I left that all behind me."

"I know that," said Rusty. "Come on, guys. Let's not play with anything at stake. Let's just have some fun."

"Not while Felicity's stuck with him!" said Andre. "Shields up!" he shouted.

His transparent blue shields lined up in front of him.

"Shields up!" Eren shouted as well and his shields did the same. But they were sleeved and it even showed up in the hologram. It displayed lewd art of an anime girl with red hair and a red bikini.

"That's attractive," Andre said. "Man, you're full of yourself. Let's see what you've got."

"I'm going to give it my all, man. I'm not giving up my date just because this guy feels like being the white knight. Felicity's mine. And there's nothing you can do about it."

"Bring it on, Eren!"

Rusty balled his fists in excitement as he sat next to Mario, who was scarfing down a deep-dish pizza by himself. "Aw, man! These guys at it in a duel? This should be an even match."

"I summon Fatal Attacker Horvath!" Andre said, summoning his crimson-armored warrior.

"That's all?" said Eren. "I summon Pyrofighter Magnus! A speed attacker! And he'll smash your first shield. Go!"

The orange-scaled lizard warrior outfitted in white armor with bladed arms ran like the wind across the arena, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. He held up his bladed arms and they started glowing orange and coated with fire. He jumped up and used the blades on his arms to slash the shield in an X shape.

Andre held up the card. "Ha! Sheild trigger activate! Tornado Flame. Say bye-bye to Magnus!" He slapped the card down and conjured a flaming tornado that quickly made its way to Magnus. It sucked him up and destroyed him. "So much for that guy. I tap three and evolve Fatal Attacker Horvath into Armored Cannon Balbaro! Now I'm going to bust one of your shields!"

The ridiculously large cannon mounted on top of Balbaro charged and he let loose a powerful shot that decimated Eren's shield.

"And you just attacked a shield trigger creature," said Eren. "Final Wars! Onimaru Boy. When he's summoned, I can destroy one of your creatures that costs four or less. Balbaro is gone."

Onimaru Boy laughed, raising up his two large swords, which he used to cut Balbaro across the chest and ending him.

"So much for that, eh, lapdog?" Eren teased.

"Why are you such an asshole!" Andre said. "I can't believe such a nice girl like Felicity is wasting her time with you. If it wasn't for the fact that you beat her in a duel, you wouldn't even have her. You're not worthy of her time."

Eren confidently grinned, the look on his face made Andre sick to his stomach. "Well, I kicked her pretty ass in our duel, lapdog. So I just proved myself worthy of Felicity's time. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous that she's with me and not you."

"Jealous? Ha! That's a laugh. I would never be jealous of a guy like you. You're a scumbag who thinks girls are nothing but toys to amuse you."

"Whatever, man. It's my turn. Say, Rusty, those Bolshack Twinpact cards were cool. I ordered a few copies for myself online. This one's for you, bro!"

Rusty grinned at him and nodded. "Cool, but easy with the trash talk, guys. This is supposed to be fun."

"How can there be any fun dueling against an unchivalrous jerk like him?" said Mario.

Eren showed Andre his card. "I cast the spell half of my Twinpact card. Duelist Charger. Now I can pick up the top three cards from my deck, and if any of them have Bolshack in their names, I can add them to my hand. If they don't, I send them to the graveyard."

Eren picked up the cards and only sent one card to the bottom of his deck. That made Andre really nervous. Now he has two cards with Bolshack in their name. Thankfully, he couldn't summon them this turn since he used up most of his mana. Eren attacked Andre with Onimaru Boy and devastated another shield.

"Shit," Andre said. "No shield trigger." He drew. "I summon two Phantom Fish to defend my shields!" Andre said. "Then I activate Faerie Life and add a card from the top of my deck to the mana zone.

"Lame," said Eren.

"I think it's rather smart," Felicity said, finally joining them with Angel by her side. Both of them were licking beautiful scoops of vanilla ice cream coated in hot fudge, gummy armored dragons, and sprinkles on sweet waffle cones. The scoops had two little sprinklers bursting from the top.

"Cool!" said Rusty. "Where did you get those?"

"Did you know Phoenix opened an ice cream slash card shop on the floor below?" Angel asked. "Oh, she makes delightful treats."

"I'm getting one!" Rusty said. He jumped out of his seat and ran out of the mall.

"Watch out for strangers, dear!" Felicity called.

"I promise!" Rusty called back and then he dashed out the entrance.

Eren suddenly bowed. "Man, what did I ever deserve to be in the presence of such beauty?" he said.

"Isn't he romantic?" Felicity said sarcastically, playfully elbowing Angel.

"Yes, yes, a real Casanova!" Angel giggled. "Are you always this charming with the ladies, Mr. Eren."

"Mr. Eren," Eren said bobbing his head. "You are such a lady, Angel."

Angel did curtsy, appreciating his comment. "Wish I could say you were a gentleman, Eren, but your fingers need a little control. How's he been so far, Felicity."

Felicity looked over her shoulder and shook her hips. "So far he's been hands-free."

"For now," said Eren.

"HEY!" shouted Andre. "Are we going to duel or what?"

Eren laughed at his outburst. "Touchy, touchy. You know this guy wants us to end our date if he wins, Felicity."

Felicity looked at Andre. "Does he now?"

"Yeah, but that's not going to happen, babe. I'm going to win this match!"

"I'm NOT your babe!" Felicity shouted. "Oooooh!" She grumbled and furiously licked her ice cream.

"Respect her wishes, will you, Eren?" Andre said.

"Whatever you say, lapdog. I tap six and summon Bolshack Dragon!"

The filigree-embossed gate of the Golden Best Series opened and released Eren's Bolshack Dragon. He flew around in circles above them and soared above the girls, who squealed and quickly placed a hand on their skirts and crossed their legs.

"Oh dear!" cried Angel. "What an unfriendly wind that dragon's making!"

"EREN!" Felicity shouted over Eren's laughter and both Bolshack's roaring and wingbeats. "You did that on purpose! You asshole!"

Eren gave a thumbs up and looked at Andre. "Got anything to top that, lapdog?

Andre growled. "So you want to use Bolshack against me? Not if I use him against you, first!"

"Uh oh!" Eren said, his confidence quickly fading.

"Bolshack Dragon! I summon you!" Andre shouted and he summoned the creature. The armored dragon flew out of nowhere and landed behind Andre.

"Now I activate the spell half of a Twinpact of my own. Red Magic. This will give my creatures speed attacker. Now my Bolshack Dragon is able to attack you this turn! Go, Bolshack Dragon! Attack his shields. Double Break!"

Bolshack Dragon roared, accepting the command. He used the jet engines on the back of his armor to launch him across the field. Angel and Felicity huddled and screamed over the fierce gust the dragon made after he soared past them. He opened his mouth and launched two fireballs at Eren's shields.

"Down to you two last shields!" Andre boasted.

"Yeah, but one of your Blockers won't be around to join us," said Eren. "My shield trigger activates! Comet Missile. I can destroy one of your blockers with 6000 or less power. I like my Phantom Fish deep friend if you please."

Andre grunted and sent his destroyed blocker to the graveyard.

"You don't look so cocky now," said Eren. "And things are about to get super bad for you! I cast the spell Hyperspatial Bolshack Hole. Now, I can summon a Psychic Creature that costs seven or less from my Hyperspatial Zone. Allow me to introduce, Bolshack Dragon, the Temporal Blaze!"

The black hole leading to the Hyperspatial Zone opened and unleashed a mighty creature that was an amazing sight to behold. Angel and Phoenix stood quiet as they watched the incredible dragon stomp on the ground in front of Eren. The holographic systems were so sophisticated and advanced that they even produced the smells of some of the monsters. Bolshack Dragon, the Temporal Blaze smelled like incense burning in a mountain temple.

"Far out, Eren!" said Felicity.

"Just wait till you see him in action, Felicity. I cast the spell, Dash Repeat. Now my creatures get the speed attacker ability this turn. Bolshack Dragon, the Temporal Blaze, attack Andre the lapdog's shields!"

Bolshack Dragon, the Temporal Blaze lifted his massive arms and summoned a wall of fire that soared toward Andre's defenses.

"I block with Phanton Fish!" said Andre.

The fish jumped up and took the hit.

"Just what I was waiting for," said Eren. "When Bolshack Dragon, the Temporal Blaze wins a battle, I can awaken him, flipping his card over to the high-cost creature on the other side. "Awaken! Bolshack Möbius, Victory Awakened!"

Eren's voice echoed as the dragon transformed into a larger far more impressive creature. He grew four gigantic extra arms and sprouted wings with reddish-purple feathers and bits of his armor were now plated in gold. The skirt he wore had golden extensions that went on for what looked like forever, as did his tail. The third tip had a golden dragon head looking over his shoulders.

"He's a triple breaker," said Eren. "So say goodbye to your shields!"

Bolshack Möbius raised his arms and summoned a rain of meteors that blasted Andre's shields. His own Bolshack Dragon then soared in shattered the last one Andre had. However, a shield trigger. Terror Pit. With this card, he was allowed to destroy a monster and he chose Bolshack Dragon. And there was another trigger called Brain Serum, which allowed Andre to add two cards to his hand.

"It's time to change things around," Andre said, quite content with what he got. "I evolve Bolshack Dragon into Überdragon Bajula!"

Bolshack Dragon transformed into a three-headed dragon carrying a chain with a flaming torch on the top. He roared and everyone covered their ears. Andre's dragon was stronger than Bolshack Mobius. Far stronger. Feeling confident with his move, Andre attacked. Doing so activated his dragon's ability. Eren was forced to send two cards from his mana zone to the graveyard. That ruined his plan to summon MaltNEXT on the next turn to finish him. Since Bolshack Mobius could not be destroyed, he was flipped back to Bolshack, the Temporal Blaze, who was even weaker than Bajula.

"Oh, shit!" said Eren. Being in a state of overconfidence, he plum forgot about the effect of his Bolshack Mobius. Had he sacrificed one shield, he could have destroyed Andre's Bolshack. But he was so sure he would win that he didn't even bother. Now it looked like he was going to pay the price for his actions. Even if he attacked with Bolshack, the Temporal Blaze, he had nothing that could finish him off. Just a few high-cost creatures but none of them had speed attacker. Not that it mattered. Thanks to Bajula, he was down two mana and didn't have enough to spend to summon them. He slammed his fist on the table and accepted what was about to happen. Andre got the best of him. He didn't even bother breaking the last shield Andre had.

Andre said nothing. Even he knew that Eren had accepted defeat. Überdragon Bajula flung his chain and whacked Eren on the chest, knocking him on his back.

"Aww, man, I missed it!" Rusty said running back to them. "If only the lines weren't so long! Wow, Andre, you won!"

"Yeah," Andre said shuffling his deck. "Don't worry, Felicity, your date with this guy is over."

Felicity pursed her lips and watched Eren sadly pick up his cards. He didn't feel bad because of the win. He was ashamed to have been so careless and cocky. His arrogance cost him his match, his pride, and his date.

"No, no, it's not."

"Felicity?" Angel asked. "You don't actually intend on still being with this guy, do you?"

Felicity walked to Eren's booth and smiled at him. "I do. He's not so bad once you get to know him. He's got his faults, but he's not a bad person. I don't accept your terms, Andre. I'm still going to have my date with him."

"Wow, you mean it?" Eren said.

"Yeah."

Rusty stepped forward. "I guess I can say the same about Andre. Even if you won the match, I would still stay Andre's friend. He's got his faults but he's not a bad person either. Just because he used to hang out with Marcus doesn't mean he's like him. Andre left Marcus's group because he was a bad person. You shouldn't judge based on faults. You have yours, too, you know."

"Wooo!" screeched Felicity. She slapped his hand away and rubbed her bottom. "Yeah, that he does."

"One that I don't think I'll ever get cleansed of," Eren proclaimed quite happily. He put an arm over Felicity's shoulder and shook her gently. "Well, fellas, it's been fun, but Felicity and I still have some stuff to finish. Duels to win and stuff. Then we're off the movies."

"Oh, the movies," said Angel. "What are you going to see?"

"Godzilla versus Kong," Felicity replied. "Do you want to come along, Angel? I can buy you an extra ticket."

"I'm afraid not. After a few matches, I must head home."

"Head home?" Eren said. "Come on, girl, it's Friday. Double XP weekend. Don't you want to boost up in rank so you can enter a big event and make a name for yourself."

"I'm afraid my singing career has done just that," Angel replied. "Speaking of which, I'm performing a concert in the Festival of the Flaming Leaves. I have to practice."

"Understandable," Eren said. "Well, Felicity, let's light up a beacon and attract some challengers. You've still got a long way to go before you can enter the Bolshack Cup."

"Maybe we can help," said Mario. "We're training to enter the Bolshack Cup as well."

"That's okay," said Eren. "Felicty and I want to tackle this on our own."

"What?" chuckled Andre. "Upset I'm going to give you another whooping."

"Hey, hey, hey," said Felicity. "No need to brag. It could have gone either way in that duel. And had Eren been paying attention to his Bolshack Mobius's effect, he would have beaten you."

"Yeah, that's right," Rusty agreed. "Mobius has this awesome effect that requires Eren to sacrifice a shield. If he had done that, he would have destroyed your Bolshack."

"Hold on," said Andre. "There's no way you could have forgotten that. You couldn't have."

Eren shrugged.

"Were you holding back on him?" Felicity asked.

"You let me win on purpose?" Andre asked. "Why?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to make the little nimrod feel bad. Especially after what Rusty said. I got so caught in the heat of the moment that I said some things I shouldn't have. I didn't deserve to win so I let him have the match."

Andre crossed his arms. "Well, next time, you better give me your all."

Eren laughed at him. "You want my all? Fine, but don't feel bad when I beat you."

"Yeah, whatever," Andre said. "Hey, Angel, since these two want to be alone, why don't you tag with us?"

Angel pondered that for a moment then shook her head. "I'll stick with Eren and Felicity until they have to go. And we can't just duel each other all night. The XP will decrease each time we face off against the same opponent."

"She's right," said Rusty. "Besides, I like it better like this. Guy's night out, huh!"

"Indeed," said Mario. "The three musketeers!"

"Suit yourself," said Andre. "I do hope we can hang out a little more, Angel. I'd like to duel you sometime."

"I promise nothing, but if my schedule allows it, we'll have a chance to hang out and duel."

When they all left, Eren, Angel, and Felicity spent the next hour in their arena inviting willing players to come and duel them for a shot at XP. The tag team matches doubled as well, now offering 2500 XP for every win. And with the combined forces of Bolzard Dragon and Bolshack Dragon, Felicity and Eren swept through the competition until they became the team to beat. By the time their hour was over, Felicity went up a couple of ranks and was now Duelist. One more rank and she could qualify to enter for the ranked matches in the city. Angel said it was time for her to go and they bid her farewell. Once their hour in the arena was up, the couple went to the theatre to see their movie. After that, Eren took Felicity on his bike all the way to the lookout point on the bridge to see the city glowing at night.

"It's beautiful," Felicity said, still sitting in the back seat of Eren's motorcycle. She climbed off and walked toward the bench surrounded by bushes and trees and sat down. Eren took off his helmet and turned the motorcycle off before he went to join her.

"Some night, huh?" he said.

"I must admit, you surprised me, Eren. You're not so bad. Not bad at all."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. See, I'm not so bad. Hey, I think you might have gotten used to the pinching, eh?"

Felicity's humor got the best of her and she grinned.

"Ha! What did I tell ya?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just don't make it too much of a habit, Eren. Other than that, I must say I'm glad I lost that duel. I...I can't believe I'm saying this but, I hope we can do this again sometime."

Eren offered her his hand. Felicity then shook it. "It was my pleasure, Felicity," said Eren. "Oh, here. I got you a pack of cards. Let's just say a voice inside my head told me to get it for you."

"Well, thank you," Felicity said taking the pack. "I'll open it when I get home."

"Of course," Eren said. "So, do you want to do something tomorrow?"

"I'm busy tomorrow. I've got homework and then I have to attend my first ballet class."

"Oh, you do ballet?"

"Uh huh. The same studio I went to miraculously has a place here. But we can meet at the mall still for Double XP weekend."

"All right. How about Sunday?"

Felicity tapped her bottom lip with her finger. "Sure. I'd like that."

"Great. Do you like pizza?"

"Do I like pizza!" Felicity said, acting as though she were offended by the word. "You know, my uncle owns his own pizza shop in Firebird Valley. He taught me a thing or two about how to make my own pizza."

Eren couldn't believe what he just heard. He chuckled and slid his hand down his hair. "You can make pizza? All right, how about this? Why don't we hang out at your place for dinner? I'll bring the ingredients and you can make the pizza."

"It's a date!" Felicity said. "My dad isn't home and my sister is out with Ms. Anne and her nephew all day. We'll have the whole place to ourselves. After that, we can head into the city and challenge more players for XP."

"I'd like that, Felicity. Sounds great."

They started at the ocean for a long time before they decided to head back home. Eren sped back to the luxurious row of buildings near the bay and brought Felicity back to her apartment complex.

"Thanks, Eren," she said, taking off her helmet. "I had a wonderful time. See you on Sunday."

"See you on Sunday...babe." He said and winked.

Felicity rolled her eyes and stepped off the bike. Just as her feet touched the ground she froze, feeling Eren pinch her on the butt again. She turned and gave him a snarky look then cocked her hip to the right. Eren laughed and sped away.

"Oh, that boy," she said. "What a delightful scoundrel."

She hurried back to her apartment, stomach bubbling with excitement at what would come on their date Sunday night. But little did she know, her sunny weekend was about to take a turn for the worse.

* * *

**Saturday**

* * *

Flynn, Luc, and Trey searched the streets for almost two hours for the cloaked people Penny was talking about. He thought their issues with Marcus and the group following The Widow ended years ago. Couldn't Duel Masters just be a fun game without all the magic surrounding it? If that wasn't the case, fine, but why couldn't he and Penny be in the category that wasn't affected by the mythical elements. He and the boys passed card shops where groups of kids their age were having fun playing cards and getting ready for fun at a big tournament. Flynn suddenly grew jealous of them. That's where she should have been. He, Penny, and the others. Just sitting around being kids and playing a popular game.

His resentment for their normalcy, however, was overshadowed by the fact that Marcus had the audacity to send his goons to look for his girlfriend. For what purpose, he did not care. He didn't care if it was claiming her for Adam's group of girls or if they wanted her for the Blood Summoning ritual. The fact is, they were dumb enough to mess with her and he was going to make them pay. As soon as he, Luc, and Trey regrouped in the town square, it started to rain again, making Flynn curse the rainy season. He put his hood up as his friends arrived.

"Anything?" Flynn asked.

"No, nothing," said Luc. "Trey and I have been all over the different spots where players were attacked. There was no sign of them."

"I'm not one to call it quits yet," said Trey. "If they have this kind of leverage on her, they won't stop bothering her. And was it wise for Rebecca to take her to Felicity's place? I mean, Marcus knows where she lives."

"But she's in a very wealthy and secure part of town," said Luc. "Lots of bankers, ambassadors, diplomats, and celebrities live in the district she's in. I highly doubt Marcus and his band of clowns will have the guts to try anything there."

"They'll be safe so long as they're together," Flynn agreed. "But I can't say the same for those Blood Summoners. When I find them, I'm going to tear them limb from limb. And Phlael's going to have fun with the pieces."

"Don't leave me out of all the fun, Flynn!" the ghostly creature said from his pocket. "I'm itching to rip and tear."

"So let's get this party started then!" said a voice.

A group of teens jumped out of the darkness and surrounded the three boys.

"So, these guys are from the legendary Big Five, eh? Don't expect those creatures you found to be of any use. We've discovered a magic far superior to them."

"Is that so?" said Luc. "You all have stepped a very thin boundary. You're hurting people to summon monsters? What's the purpose!?"

"We're just separating the wheat from the chaff," said a duelist in a red hoodie. "Duel Masters is a game for only the strong. We're aiming to have the game played the way it was supposed to be played."

"By using monsters to bring harm to others?" said Trey. "You should know they have a moral code when it comes to humans. They never harm us."

A boy in a sleeveless vest scoffed and held up a glowing red gem. "But these Blood Crystals force them to. It fills the creatures we summon with a dark aura that binds them to our will. If we want them to strike down an unworthy player, they'll do it. No questions asked."

"So you twist monsters to bring harm to others?" said Luc. "That's just sick!"

"If you think monsters are O' so benevolent, then you're a fool. Kaijudo Masters have even used creatures to kill in the past."

"Very few of them," said Luc. "But they were all put down like the dogs they were. And if that's what we're going to have to do, so be it! Follow us to the park. There are some duel tables we can use."

"We don't have to go anywhere. We can just duel right here!" One of the Blood Summoners said. He snapped his fingers and then three tables appeared out of nowhere in front of Luc and his friends. Then, the five Blood Duelists had their own tables morph in front of them.

"You're all going to regret this!" Flynn said, slapping his deck on the table. The sleeves over his cards were waterproof and kept them safe from the rain. "You mess with my girlfriend and all hell will break loose. I'm going to show no mercy tonight."

"Oooo, we're shaking in our boots!" said one of the Blood Duelists. "We need her, Flynn. She has a bond with a very powerful creature of the Darkness Civilization. With the amount of energy we'll get from her blood, we can summon monsters forever."

"Touch her and I swear I'll chase you to the very pits of hell!" Flynn shouted.

"Easy, Flynn," said Trey. "Don't let them get to you. You won't be able to think rationally."

"I know, I know," Flynn said. "Five against three, huh?"

"I like the odds," said Luc. "Let's get this party started."

Every player's shields went up. The Blood Summoners went first and they each summoned a low-cost Blocker called Marrow Ooze the Twister.

"So that's how they're going to start, huh?" said Luc.

Many turns went by. For the first few, it was a war of blockers. Flynn and Luc had a great number of them in their decks, as did Trey, whose deck was a mixture of Light, Nature, and Darkness, a symbol of his bond with his two best friends. As their Blockers defended their shields, they increased their mana with spells like Faerie Life and Chargers, which added themselves to the mana pool after they were used. Each turn that went by, the Blockers, Luc, Trey, and Flynn summoned got stronger. Luc soon had a row of Emerald Grass and a Dia Nork, Moonlight Guardian defending him. Flynn was kept safe thanks to a swarm of Bloody Squito and Dark Clown. Trey was kept safe behind Emerald Grass as well and hid behind them as he boosted his mana pool.

It was a good strategy, but their Blockers didn't stand out for too long. The Blood Summoners were getting annoyed and after a combination of low-cost creatures and spells, they cleared out their defenses in no time. When the last of the Blockers were gone, the Blood Summoners started their onslaught.

The first one summoned Immortal Baron Vorg and attacked Luc first with a creature he summoned earlier called Writhing Bone Ghoul. The creature scampered out of the darkness and smashed the first shield. Lu grunted as the sharp pieces of the shield cut right through his arm, ripping the sleeve of his hoodie to shreds. He fell to his knee, groaning in pain as he clutched his injured arm.

"LUC!" Flynn and Trey shouted.

"Aw, man, that hurt," Luc said through his teeth. He looked at his palm and gasped in horror. There was blood all over it. "What kind of magic is this?" he said.

"You going to be okay, man?" Trey asked.

"I'll be fine," Luc said, ripping the torn sleeve off his arm.

The second Blood Summoner laughed. "Wish I could say the same about your little friends. Bone Spider, attack Trey!" A flash of purple light and then the horrid creature in the card appeared. It screeched like a banshee and used its bony arms to bash down Trey's shield. The pieces flew to him and ripped his shirt and jeans. He screamed at the terrible stinging pain.

The third of the Blood Summoners chose Flynn as his target and attacked with Deadly Fighter Braid Claw. The lizard creature, usually red with brown scales, was now black and glowing with a dark purple aura. It jumped up high and kicked Flynn's shield, shattering it to bits. The pieces flew to Flynn and they shred his hoodie until the sleeves were gone.

"Give up?" asked the fourth Shadow Duelist. "I'll have my Braid Claw attack you, Flynn."

"You won't! One of my shields was a trigger creature. Bone Arm the Ambusher. A blocker, and he'll intercept your attack."

Both creatures did battle, brawling for almost a minute. Both fought very hard, but in the end, they destroyed each other.

"Aww, nuts!" said the fourth Blood Summoner.

"Stand aside, chump!" sneered the fifth Blood Summoner. "I'm going to attack you next, Luc! With Burning Mane!" The wolf creature howled then stampeded across the alley and smashed the shield. Luc expected the pieces to fly towards him, but he was spared. The pieces went back together and formed a card, which Luc caught at once.

"Ha!" laughed Luc. "You activated my shield trigger. A creature of all things. Ur, Cleansing Elemental!"

Luc placed the card on the duel table and then summoned a powerful Angel Command that resembled one of his signature creatures. It was also a blocker, he didn't have to worry about being struck again for now.

"Way to go," said the fourth Blood Summoner. "Now you just gave them a creature!"

"And it's about to get worse for all of you!" said Trey. "You guys are going to pay! This was my favorite shirt! I summon Bronze-Arm Tribe. Then I tap three to summon Sanfist, the Savage Vizier!"

"I'll bolster my defenses, too," said Flynn. "I tap eight to summon Beholder, Orderly General."

He summoned a creature that was a guest from the tabletop game: Dungeons and Dragons. "When he's put into the battle zone," Flynn explained. "I can take out three cards from the top of my deck and put it under him. Then, I summon my last Bloody Squito. Try and catch me if you can."

"My turn!" said Luc. "I tap six and summon Urth, Purifying Elemental!"

"Now the big monsters are out!" said Flynn.

"Don't think that's going to save you!" said the first Blood Summoner. "We've also got a team of powerful creatures ready to take you down. His flesh started glowing with purple runes and was a misty black and violet aura formed over his hand. I will tap ten mana to summon the all-powerful, Jaouga, Oniga Overlord. And unfortunately for all of you, when he's summoned to the battle zone, all creatures are destroyed."

"Aw, no!" shouted Luc.

"All creatures? Including ours?" asked the second Blood Summoner.

The first Blood SUmmoner only laughed as his creature lifted his hammer and slammed it on the ground. Every creature that had been summoned exploded and then sent to the graveyard. Luc's creatures, Flynn's and Trey's, even the other Blood Summoners'. But they didn't have a care. They all watched with delight as the giant triple breaker gifted with Speed Attacker smashed Trey's shields. Trey screamed and was knocked on his back.

"I summon Jaouga, Oniga Great King!" said the second Blood Summoner. The double-breaker zoomed forward and shattered two of Luc's shields. The pieces ripped and tore through his hoodie until it was gone. He fell to the ground.

"As will I!" said the third one. He attacked Flynn, breaking two of his shields.

"I will summon Jaouga, Onigaoni!" said the fourth.

He attacked and destroyed two more of Luc's shields. Luc screamed and shielded himself from the falling pieces. He felt his arms getting terribly cut up as though he was rolling around in powdered glass.

There was still the fifth one. And he summoned another Oniga Great King, this time it went for Trey.

"You guys are done for!" said the first Blood Summoner. "After we're done with you guys, we'll be paying those cuties you hang out with. And we're going to show them one hell of a time."

"Over my dead body!" Flynn said, struggling to get up. "We're not going to lose this match. Not against you."

The Blood Summoners laughed. "You're kidding right!" said the third. "We've got powerful monsters on the field and you guys don't have squat and you barely have any shields left. This is over for you. The blood from members of the Big Five. Imagine the power that's coursing in your veins. And it's going to be ours for the taking!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"Who said that?" asked Flynn.

Eren came running down the alleyway, deck in hand. "Guys! Are you okay?"

"Been better," grunted Luc. "You going to join us?"

The first Blood Summoner pointed at them. "No! He will not! The game is already on, so he cannot be allowed to play!"

Eren stopped and balled his fists. "Pfft, touchy," he said. "Guys, MaltNEXT helped me find you. Don't worry. Help is on the way."

"Glad to hear it," said Flynn.

The Blood Summoner were obviously not pleased to hear that. They stood there, looking at each other as the rain fell harder, wondering what to do. "What do we do now?" asked the fourth.

"We beat them, that's what!" said the first. "Come on, guys, we've got this. There's nothing they can do to stop us now. We've got them beat. It's going to take a miracle to help them out of the predicament we put them in."

"Hey, Trey!" Eren called over a blast of thunder. "Don't worry, man! Trust in your deck. Pull that card out with all your heart, mind, and soul!"

"Thanks," said Trey. He heard Gor roaring in the back of his head. His spirit helped Trey tap into the heart of his deck, causing his hand to glow green. "This is it..." he whispered.

* * *

"Felicity!" her father called. "Don't forget to turn off the fish tank before you go to bed."

"Aw, man," Felicity groaned. "I thought that was going to be Riley's job for tonight. Little worm. That's the last time I get her any cards."

Felicity got out of bed and set her phone down on the night table. She walked to the office where the fish tank was but stopped when she saw Ms. Anne had already taken care of it.

"Oh, Felicity," she said. "I...I'm sorry. I should have told your father I was going to take care of it."

"Speak up, then," Felicity said, her face scrunched up in agitation. "Communication, lady, that's the key."

Ms. Anne wanted to frown. As much as she wanted to get close to Felicity, she was started to grow tired of her attitude. "I'm aware, young lady. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to get out of bed. But while you're here maybe we can have a talk."

"What about?" Felicity asked. She didn't want to stand around for too long. She only wore a shirt as sleepwear and Ms. Anne's nephew was still around playing with Riley.

Ms. Anne leaned against her desk. "Well, your father and I are about to get married in the summer. I've gotten very close to him and little Riley, but I feel like you and I never had a chance to get to know each other. You being a busy girl with your schoolwork and all. I heard you recently sought out to be a dancer."

"I'm taking ballet after school next week," said Felicity. "How did you know?"

"Well, your father told me all about it. Congratulations. I hope to see you dance in a recital or something in the future."

"If one pops up, I'll be sure to tell dad to let you know," Felicity said, wrapping the tip of her hair around her finger. When she slept, she tied her hair into a long ponytail that she kept over her shoulder.

"Oh, why don't we exchange numbers?" Ms. Anne suggested. "That way you can keep me in the loop."

"Why?"

"Because I'd really like to hear it from you."

The doorbell rang. Thankfully. She heard Mark heading for it to answer. "Felicity. Your friends are here."

"Mmm. I'll have to get back to you on that. I have some guests over."

"I see," said Ms. Anne. She pursed her lips and sadly placed her phone back in her pocket. "Well, I won't intrude on you anymore tonight. Have fun with your friends."

"Yeah," Felicity said, turning around and heading for the hall to greet Rebecca and Flynn's girlfriend, Penny, both of whom were already dressed in pajamas and carrying sleeping bags in their arms. Rebecca was clad in a white tank top and sugary-pink pajama pants, while Penny only had on a sweater with a glow-in-the-dark symbol of the Darkness civilization on the front.

"What's the occasion?" Mark asked. "Isn't this a school night?"

"Uh, hello, Earth to dad. It's Saturday." Felicity answered. "But they're here to work on something with me. A big, big, project. Since we might be working late, they're staying over. If that's okay with you, dad."

Mark gave them a warm smile. "Of course. It pleases me to see you kids working hard. But, if I may ask, what kept you from doing your work at school or at the library."

"Some things at home popped up," Penny answered. "I wasn't able to make it to help out with the project. That's when Felicity suggested we work on the project here and crash for the night. We'll be back after school to pick up our things, sir."

"Not a problem, not a problem, ladies. My house is your house. The fridge and the pantry are stocked with refreshments. If there's anything you need, please, help yourselves."

"Thank you," they all said. And then they hurried to Felicity's room and locked the door. Felicity placed her hands on Penny's shoulders, then hugged her. "Are you okay?"

Penny and Rebecca weren't here to work on any projects. Earlier in the night, Rebecca got a text from Flynn, asking if there was a safe place to keep Penny for the night. Penny told him that on her way home, she saw shadowy figures following her. And once she got home, she spotted one standing on the balcony and jumping off into the night. Rebecca then explained the dream to Felicity and told her about the Blood Summoners and how Marcus and now Adam were connected to it all.

"I think they were coming to get me," said Penny. "Adam probably sent them."

"Why didn't you call the police?" Felicity asked. She came back from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn.

"I didn't stay home for long," Penny said. They sat down in a circle in Felicity's bed. Felicity, feeling spooked about the story of the hooded figures, closed the drapes around her bed and illuminated their space with the pink and blue RGB lights she added herself.

"So you just ran?" Felicity said. She clutched her teddy bear and shivered in fear. "What did you do then?"

"I couldn't stay home, obviously," said Penny. "They were watching me. Mom and dad are on a business trip in Germany so I'm all alone. I think maybe those goons knew that. That's when I headed for Fynn's place. He was so...so angry. He then called Luc and Trey before he sent me to your place Rebecca."

"I don't think you guys are any safer here," said Felicity. "Marcus used Bolzard Dragon's bond with me to follow me home. He knows where I live."

"Still," said Rebecca, "your folks are here, the building is guarded by lots of security, and we're very, very, high up. We'll be safe so long as we're together."

"What about Luc, Flynn, and Trey?" asked Felicity.

"I don't know," Penny said, clutching a white bunny Flynn gave her for their anniversary. "I think they're out there hunting those hooded goons."

"They wouldn't!" gasped Felicity.

Penny nodded. "Flynn loves me to death," she said. "He was so pissed off when he learned those guys were hunting me. Most likely they were going to take me to Adam. Or worse. They could be those Blood Summoners looking to take my life force to fuel their strange power. Flynn told me his creature, Phlael, Shadow of Betrayal, said that I reeked of power and energy. And I'm beginning to think he's right."

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked. She fixed the right bow holding up one of Penny's long pigtails.

Penny opened her deck box, which sat beside her thigh. She took out the card at the bottom of the deck and showed it to her friends. "Dorballom. My favorite creature. Since the day I first got him, I felt a powerful connection to him. Sometimes, I can hear him calling out to me when things are dire during a duel. Maybe it's my bond with him that makes my lifeforce so appealing to the Blood Summoners."

"I don't understand," said Felicity. "What's Blood Summoning?"

Rebecca took King Ambergris out of her deck and looked at it. "According to the five creatures, it's terrible dark magic that allows duelists to conjure monsters without the need of becoming a Kaijudo Master. But the ritual requires human blood in order to grant duelists that power. That explains all those people who wound up getting hurt and sent to the hospital. The ritual they play in is called a Dark Kaijudo Duel."

She rolled her eyes. "Cliché, I know. But it's no joke. The damage the monsters cause is VERY real. They will hurt you. And once you're defeated, the loser's blood gets sucked into these gems called Blood Crystals. Think of them as the battery that helps fuel the Blood Summoners with the power to summon real monsters during duels. But so long as they continue attacking other duelists and taking blood from them, it will most likely never go dry."

"This is awful!" said Felicity. "God, it sure takes the fun out of the game now."

"It's not just a game, honey," said Rebecca. "Duel Masters has roots that go back all the way to the dawn of mankind. It's a game of monsters and magic from a world far beyond our understanding."

"Just hearing that makes my brain hurt," said Felicity. "None of this seems real. Come on. Magic? I'm pretty sure this is nothing but some roleplaying thing played out by a bunch of guys taking the game too seriously."

"You don't know how much I wish that was true," said Rebecca. "But it's real. You've got to trust me on this. I've been to the monster world before. That's how I got this card. And you even said you've had dealings with magic since you first got here. You can hear and see monsters and then Marcus used that bond you had with Bolzard Dragon to find you."

"I guess you're right," said Felicity. "Phew, that's a lot to take in. I just hope the guys are safe wherever they are."

* * *

Trey was battered and bleeding, but he drew his next card confidently and held it up. "I cast the spell, Gouhaten Tsukumogatari!"

"YEAH!" said Luc.

"Go, Trey!" Flynn cheered.

"What's that card do?" asked the second Blood Summoner. "Why are you guys so happy?"

"I'm so glad you asked," Trey said. "This card allows us to ALL summon creatures from our mana zone to the battle zone."

"SAY WHAT!?" the Blood Summoners shouted in unison.

"Thanks, Trey!" said Flynn. "I summon Abyss, Wandering on the Moon. Romanov the Second, Dark Masters Demon Dragon, and Deathliger, Lion of Chaos!"

"Now it's my turn to summon my army," said Luc. "Thanks, Trey! I summon Urth, Purifying Elemental! Miar, Comet Elemental! Hanusa, Radiance Elemental! And Neo Milzam, Miracle Elemental!"

"Glad I could be of help, boys. I know just the ones I need!" shouted Trey. "Kingdom Ohkabuto! Donjungle Strong Seven! Ganveendrange, Gorio Bugori, Gorrira King! That's all I need pretty much. Don't want to overcrowd the zone with monsters that won't be needed."

"Won't be needed!?" laughed the second Blood Summoner. "You're going to need every card you can get if you want to defeat us!" They summoned every monster they had at once. The alleyway was crowded with all sorts of creatures. "You just sealed your doom!"

"Not quite. First, I will use the Mach Fighter ability of my Kingdom Ohkabuto. When they are summoned they can attack untapped or tapped creatures. First, I'm going to target that Oniga Overlord!"

"You can't!" shouted the first summoner. "He's too strong to be taken down by your beast!"

Trey wagged his finger and tsked. "Wrong again, asshole. I use the Aberchain Ability of Gorio Burgai. If my creature is the first to attack this turn, I can give him plus 6000 power. Go, Kingdom Ohkabuto!" The giant insect creature held up its powerful arms then let loose a loud roar. It then stomped across the alleyway and smashed the Overlord with its foot. "And that's not all, my friends!" said Trey. "Kingdom Ohkabuto! Activate your special ability: Hatenkokonotsugatari!"

Again the creature roared. Its body was then haloed by a golden aura.

"What's that?" asked the first summoner.

Trey started to laugh at them. "Whenever Kingdom Ohkabuto wins a battle, he can destroy nine of your shields."

"AHHHH!" the Blood Summoner shouted together. Kingdom Ohkabuto smashed his fists on the ground, creating a giant fissure that sent rocks and debris into the air, destroying nine of their shields.

"And I've still got one more!" said Trey. "Kingdom Ohkabuto number two. Destroy Oniga, Great King!" When the monster won his battle with the fiendish king from the fiery pits of the Darkness Civilization, Trey activated the monster's Hatenkokonotsugatari ability and shattered nine more shields for a total of eighteen. Then, he commanded Donjungle to use his Mach Fighter ability to take down the second Oniga Great King.

They were doomed. There was nothing the Blood Summoners could do to stop them. Two of them pulled out a Terror Pit shield trigger, but that was not going to be enough to stop the onslaught the last two players were about to unleash. They just stood tight and prayed that what was coming toward them hopefully wasn't going to hurt too much.

When they were finally defeated, the three players fell to the ground exhausted.

"We did it," said Flynn.

Suddenly, another group of Blood Summoners jumped out of the shadows and surrounded them for another duel.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," said Luc.

"No!" groaned Trey. "I...guys...I can't."

Eren stormed in to join them but even he felt like it wasn't going to be enough to help them. Just when all hope seemed lost, he heard footsteps slowly treading behind him.

"Look at this," said Kokujo. "A team of losers just ripe for the picking." He was walking alongside David, now clad in an armored robe with holographic green ornaments hovering over his chest and shoulders. His robe was green but so dark it looked black and had gold designs.

"It's the Reaper!" said one of the Blood Summoners.

"And David Kaiser!" said another.

"Where the hell have you been, David!?" Trey groaned loudly.

"Hard at work," said Knight, coming out of the darkness right behind them. "So these are the Blood Summoners I've heard so much about. Look at you. I'm quite disappointed."

"We'll take care of them, Knight," David said. "Kokujo? How about it?"

"Just like old times," he said. Both he and David summoned their own duel tables. "You guys sit this one out. We've got this,"

"You can't take them on yourselves," said Luc. "We barely stood a chance."

"That's because you're out of your league, junior," said Kokujo. "All that talk of special legendary creatures and you let yourselves get beaten to this point. How sad."

"They'll learn," said David. "Let's begin."

Moments later...

"PATHETIC!" roared Kokujo. "XENOM, the Reaper King, break the last moron's shields so we can call it a night!"

"HELP!" the Blood Summoner shouted. But his companions were out cold after Kokujo and David Todome Da'ed them all to oblivion. When he was left defenseless, it was David's time to inflict pain.

"Niga Vermut, Evil King!" David called to his Jurassic Command Dragon. "Todome Da!"

The prehistoric, ax-wielding giant behemoth smashed the poor boy. There were more Blood Summoners in the shadows, but after they saw what Kokujo and David did to their friends, they all ran into the night in terror.

"Thanks," said Flynn. "We owe you guys one."

"Save it, rookie!" said Kokujo. "You could have gotten killed! Didn't your legendary creatures tell you to meet up with Knight and David as soon as possible?"

"He's right," said Knight. "I told you all how dangerous these individuals are."

"I figured we could take them," Flynn said, writhing in pain on the ground. "They threatened my girlfriend and I got so angry. I didn't think. I thought we were strong enough."

"I guess we've got a lot to learn," said Trey. He cringed from the pain his cuts inflicted on him.

"Come on," said Knight. "Let's get you back to my building. We can clean you up there."

"Thanks, Knight," said Luc. He noticed David and Kokujo continuing to walk off into the storm. "Hey!" Luc called. "Where y'all going?"

They didn't answer and just kept on walking.

"They're going to hunt more," said Knight.

"You can't be serious!" said Eren. "They're going to fight in more of those insane matches?"

Knight nodded in reply. "They're both well-trained and very strong. Don't worry about them, boys. They can take care of themselves."


End file.
